Getty Baker Mayfield is the undisputed quarterback for the Buccaneers in 2024.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield comes into training camp with a shiny new four-year, $100 million contract, but it looked drastically different a year ago as wide receiver Mike Evans pointed out.
“We know Baker [Mayfield] is going to be the guy [this year],” Evans told reporters on July 24. “Last year, we didn’t know that preparing.”
Mayfield came to Tampa on a one-year, $4 million deal with the task of beating out third-year backup quarterback Kyle Trask, a former second-round pick. The winner also had the challenge of filling Tom Brady‘s shoes after his February 2023 retirement.
Mayfield beat out Trask for the starting job and had a career year after a topsy-turvy past two years between three different teams. The former No. 1 pick threw for 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns as he led the Buccaneers to a third-straight NFC South title and a Divisional Round appearance.
That’s a far cry from the national media’s expectations of the Buccaneers in 2023 without Brady. Evans hasn’t forgotten that.
“Last year, we heard all the talk about us: we lost Tom [Brady], we’re going to be trash and things like that,” Evans said. “But we knew the caliber of players that we had, and this year, we’re going to be better, I feel like. It’s already showing. I know it’s just day one, but OTAs were different than they were the year before.”
Todd Bowles: ‘Baker Has the Keys to the Bus’
GettyBaker Mayfield enters 2024 with high expectations amid a four-year, $100 million contract.
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles arguably entered 2023 on thin ice without Brady, but Mayfield has Bowles in arguably the best spot of his coaching career this year.
“Baker has the keys to the bus. He’s driving it. He’s comfortable, we’re comfortable with him,” Bowles told reporters on July 24. “We’re both in a great place right now. He has to run the offense — we talked about this, as far as getting the ball out where he needs to get the ball out and understanding the offense and making the correct checks.”
“I think he’s taken it upon his shoulders. He came back in great shape and we expect him to do that. There’s a lot more stability there than there was last year,” Bowles added.
Part of that stability is the chemistry between Mayfield and Evans. They connected on 79 completions for 1,255 yards and 13 touchdowns last season.
“They both kind of know each other pretty well by now. Mike came back in great shape,” Bowles said. “He looks just like he did a year ago. He’s a professional. He loves to play the game.”
“He knows what time it is, he knows when to come back and do things the right way. He’s been doing that his whole career. That’s what makes him great,” Bowles added.
Baker Mayfield’s ‘Probably Got a Bigger Chip Now’
As Mayfield begins competing under the biggest contract of his career, Bowles isn’t concerned about any overconfidence or regression.
“He’s probably got a bigger chip [on his shoulder] now. Baker is going to be the same every day,” Bowles said. “He works his tail off to be the best he can be. The guys believe in him and would run through a brick wall for him. I don’t see any change.”