Once again, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are facing uncertainty at the quarterback position, though not in a similar way to last offseason. Last year, Tom Brady retired, but for real this time. Cue Baker Mayfield signing on a cheap contract. He absolutely balled out in his first season, helping lead the Buccaneers to a Divisional Round matchup against the Detroit Lions.
While the Buccaneers don’t technically have the quarterback position figured out for next season, they’ve got a “leg up” in free agency to return Mayfield to the squad, according to Ian Rapoport .
“The most important thing he said was that the Bucs kind of have the leg up on everyone,” Rapoport said on Thursday. “He’s not a restricted free agent. It’s not like there’s an opportunity to match.”
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Mayfield posted 4,044 passing yards and 28 passing touchdowns with just ten interceptions on the season as the 28-year-old proved his value as a starting quarterback in the NFL. Now, the Buccaneers are pushing for his return as other teams are likely to be calling in free agency.