It wasn’t too long ago that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looked like their season was over. Losers in six out of seven games, their record had dropped to 4-7 on the season after a strong 3-1 start, with their only loss being to the Philadelphia Eagles.
But, over the last month, something has begun clicking for the team. The Buccaneers are now 8-7 and riding a four-game winning streak. A big reason for the team’s recent stretch of success has been the performance of quarterback Baker Mayfield.
Mayfield has not thrown an interception in three straight games and has been picking apart opponent’s defenses. He put together the best performance by a visiting player at Lambeau Field in Week 15 ever and followed it up with another strong showing in Week 16 against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
NFL News & Rumors: Baker Mayfield & Tampa Bay Buccaneers Updates
Tampa Bay has a chance to secure the NFC South for a third straight season when they host the New Orleans Saints next weekend. A victory would seal the deal, giving the Buccaneers a home game during Wild Card Weekend.
Based on how well he has played, it would have been fair to assume the Buccaneers had tried to sign Mayfield to an extension. He signed a one-year contract this offseason to compete for the starting job and has thrived.
However, that has not been the case. According to Jenna Laine of ESPN, the Buccaneers haven’t approached Mayfield about an extension. In fact, no contract talks are expected until after the season concludes.
That is a bit of a surprise given how well Mayfield has played. With each passing week, his price tag is only going up as he plays at a high level. There is always a risk in letting him hit free agency as another team could come and snatch him up, offering a starting job and more money.
NFL News & Rumors: Baker Mayfield & Tampa Bay Buccaneers Updates
The longer the Buccaneers wait, the more expensive a contract is going to become and the higher the chances will be that he could leave. There are going to be a number of franchises around the league with an eye on a quarterback this offseason and Mayfield could be the best healthy one available in free agency.
On the season, Mayfield has completed 64.3 percent of his passes for 3,598 yards with 26 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. He has compiled a passer rating of 96.2 and QBR of 56.9, taking full advantage of having Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Rachaad White and Cade Otton as weapons in the passing game.
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