After a successful 2023 season on a one-year deal, quarterback Baker Mayfield wanted to remain with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but they did not have an agreement as free agency approached, and the quarterback texted general manager Jason Licht to increase the offer to get the deal done with just three days before he would hit the open market. Little did Mayfield know, Light increased the offer that afternoon while negotiating with the quarterback's agent, so the general manager came back with a playful text.
“Hey listen, you're a motherf***er. Congratulations,” Jason Licht texted Baker Mayfield, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic.
Mayfield was with his wife, Emily, and Tristan Wirfs and his girlfriend at the time. The quarterback ended up signing a three-year, $100 million contract with $50 million guaranteed with the Buccaneers, and he got the stability he had been looking for after years of instability with the Cleveland Browns before short stints with the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams. Mayfield was thrilled with the deal.
“I was like, are you serious?” Mayfield said, according to Howe. “So I hung up the phone and was able to celebrate with those three. The relief, I was like, ‘Yes, this is what I wanted, and it wound up happening.' It was so surreal.”
Mayfield and Emily went on to welcome their first daughter, Kova Jade, a month after the quarterback signed the long-term deal with the Buccaneers. He has stability, although the road to it was unconventional.
“When I think back on it, it wasn't easy at all, but it was so worth it,” Mayfield said, via Howe. “No part of my story so far in my life has been anywhere normal. … For me, it's going to make settling in here and understanding the potential that we have — if we're able to achieve our potential that we have here — it's going to be an unbelievable story.”
Tristan Wirfs seeks extension with Buccaneers after celebrating with Baker Mayfield
Tristan Wirfs is arguably one of the best players in the NFL and a cornerstone player for the Buccaneers. Tampa Bay locked Mayfield, as well as Mike Evans and Antoine Winfield Jr. into long-term contracts this offseason.
Wirfs, who might be the best and most important player of the bunch, is seeking his own long-term contract, and the hope is that the two sides can get a deal done during training camp. Nothing has happened yet, but it will be interesting to monitor reports on negotiations, as that is the last order of business for the Buccaneers before Week 1.
Follow Us
Subscribe
