Baker Mayfield discusses picking Buccaneers in free agency

It appears quarterback Baker Mayfield realized soon after he and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell to the Detroit Lions in the divisional round of the playoffs that he didn't want to reach free agency this month. 

"For me, I said it immediately after our Detroit game, following the loss: to build a winning team and to have a lot of the key pieces that we needed back to continue this run and improve it, some sacrifices have to be made," Mayfield said during a Wednesday news conference related to his re-signing with the Buccaneers, as shared by the club's website. "Now, listen, this is life-changing money and I'm not going to act otherwise. It's something that I've worked extremely hard for over the years and many years of football. I'm grateful for it." 

Soon after it was reported that Mayfield and the Buccaneers agreed to a three-year, $100M deal with a maximum value of $115M and $50M guaranteed, league insider Peter Schrager of NFL Network insisted that Mayfield would've been willing to test the open market once the legal tampering portion of free agency began on Monday. 

Multiple individuals have since shared that Mayfield wanted job security after he was employed by the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams from January 2022 through the following season. 

Along with Mayfield, wide receiver Mike Evans, linebacker Lavonte David and kicker Chase McLaughlin are among notable players who stayed with the Buccaneers this offseason. 

"There's nothing to be ashamed about," Mayfield added about his contract figures on Wednesday. "There's nothing to say, 'Oh, well he got more.' It's not that mentality. Knowing that we have a chance to bring back some key pieces and make a further run in the playoffs, that's important to me. I'm a winner at heart. I hate losing, so knowing that we get a lot of guys back and we can continue to build this for years to come is a special thing."

Outsiders may never fully know if a quarterback-needy club such as the Minnesota Vikings would've given Mayfield more guaranteed money had he left his options open through the start of the new league year on Wednesday. 

It sounds like he isn't losing sleep about his financial situation and instead is focused on guiding the Buccaneers to more than a single playoff win next winter.