NFL News: Baker Mayfield approves Bucs' move before entering contract talks

Baker Mayfield exceeded expectations in 2023, which is why the Tampa Bay Buccaneers want to make sure he doesn’t go anywhere this offseason. The 28-year-old is set to hit the open market as he signed a one-year deal in March, but the Bucs may have received a positive sign from the quarterback.

Speaking to reporters at the Pro Bowl on Friday, Mayfield seemed to approve the possible arrival of Liam Coen in Tampa Bay to replace Dave Canales as the Bucs’ new offensive coordinator for the 2024 season.

“I got to work with Liam in L.A.,” Mayfield said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “Great guy. Really, really great guy. If they lock that down for sure, it’s a similar system. Same system, some different terminology in how he wants to call things. There’s something to say about that with continuity in the offense for skill guys and the offensive line. It’s important to have.”

Canales leaving to take the reins of the Carolina Panthers meant a huge loss for the Bucs, but Mayfield looks happy with his replacement. Coen was the Los Angeles Rams’ offensive coordinator during Mayfield’s short stint with the team late in 2022. According to Stroud, the former first-overall pick expects his own contract talks “to pick up” now that the Buccaneers are working on a deal to hire Coen.

Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers looks on against the Philadelphia Eagles during the second quarter in the NFC Wild Card Playoffs at Raymond James Stadium on January 15, 2024 in Tampa, Florida.

Mayfield warned the Bucs he wanted to know the new OC

Only a day before showing his support for Coen, Mayfield suggested he wanted to know who would be the Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator before discussing his own future with the team.

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NFL News: Baker Mayfield lets Bucs know what he wants to come back

“My agent and them, I think they engaged a little bit,” Mayfield told Cameron Wolfe of NFL Network on Thursday. “But obviously when Canales left — and happy for him, as well, getting a head coaching job, he deserves that — but when they started the OC search, I think they know that we’ve got to know who’s calling plays before anything’s done.”

Now that Mayfield knows the new leader of the unit is a familiar face, the Bucs are one step closer to reaching an agreement with the quarterback that made them forget about Tom Brady’s retirement in 2023.

Mayfield arrived in Tampa Bay on a team-friendly contract last year as the franchise didn’t have much cap space, but went on to have a breakout season that put him in a position to demand a more lucrative deal this time.