Baker Mayfield has some clear problems with the way the Buccaneers handled negotiating a potential contract extension this offseason, saying he feels “disrespected” and “undervalued” during his Thursday press conference.
But he also took issue with the way the club has handled its negotiations with other players — while also claiming he doesn’t have larger concerns about the franchise.
In his first answer about his contract situation, Mayfield brought up and took up for defensive tackle Vita Vea, who is staging an apparent hold-in after requesting a trade. A pillar of the Bucs’ defense for years, Vea is set to enter the last year of his contract.
"[H]opefully Vita gets his back fixed and gets his deal done,” Mayfield said. “He’s the second-longest tenured Buc behind CG [Chris Godwin] and Vita deserves that. He’s the anchor of our defense. So, I hope they take care of him.”
Mayfield also brought up left tackle Tristan Wirfs’ negotiation from 2024 as a negative example of the Buccaneers’ negotiating style.
“I’ve sat here and watched these guys go through it — even Tristan,” Mayfield said. “So, talk about the best tackle in the league. Only person in NFL history that’s been an All-Pro at right and left, had to have a hold-in in training camp to get it done. So, disappointing. You hope they take care of their guys. But, like I said, it’s going to be a good year.”
It’s worth noting that Wirfs did not become a first-team All-Pro at left tackle until after his second contract was signed in early August of 2024.
Still, when asked directly if he has concerns about the way the Buccaneers have handled their proverbial franchise players, Mayfield said, “Not at all.”
“I think that’s an easy scapegoat to the outside media, but to be honest with you, inside the locker room, all that does is bring us closer together,” Mayfield said. “The downstairs aspect of our building is really, really special. And our guys know that. And they cherish that. So, it’s only bringing our guys together. That might be a negotiating tactic on their part. But, like I said when I got here in 2023, it’s a really close-knit locker room. And that’s the leadership that was here prior to me getting here. And just the way they carry each other, carry themselves, lead by example. And when it comes to things like this, it’s separate from the football thing. You take care of each other, you play on the field, good things happen, you take care of each other, and go from there.”
Mayfield may be making a distinction between the players part of the building (downstairs) and the football administration part of the building (upstairs) when talking about the media and scapegoats. But his own words demonstrate his disappointment with Tampa Bay’s front office when it comes to his and Vea’s respective contract situations.
