Buccaneers GM Licht says he is confident about Mayfield's future

PHOENIX (AP) — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are confident Baker Mayfield will be their quarterback beyond the 2026 season. Mayfield is entering the final season of a three-year, $100 million extension he signed after reviving his career in Tampa Bay in 2023. Bucs general manager Jason Licht said he's had conversations with Mayfield's representatives and anticipates getting an extension done. "Baker is still our quarterback. He's one of the toughest guys on the team. He's a great leader," Licht said. "Everything kind of revolves around the quarterback spot. At some point, I'm sure we'll figure something out. There's no timetable on that." Mayfield has thrived with the Buccaneers since replacing Tom Brady. Once discarded by three teams, the 2018 No. 1 overall pick led Tampa Bay to a division title and a playoff win in 2023. He followed that up with his best season in 2024, completing 71.4% of his passes for 4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns and 16 interceptions for a 106.8 passer rating. Mayfield was an early front-runner for AP NFL MVP last year when the Bucs opened 6-2, but the injury-riddled team unraveled and failed to win its fifth straight NFC South title. Mayfield, playing through injuries, saw his production drop. He threw for 3,693 yards, 26 TDs, 11 picks and had a 90.6 passer rating. The Buccaneers lost six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Mike Evans in free agency and veteran linebacker Lavonte David so this is unquestionably Mayfield's team. Licht isn't concerned about his quarterback holding out. "Baker is a true professional. He's a leader of this team. I have confidence we're going to be OK," Licht said. Licht also isn't worried that Mayfield might want to play out his contract year and increase his value on the open market. "Baker is a true pro. Baker has never let us down. I'm not going to deal with hypotheticals. We love Baker," Licht said. The team also wants to extend outside linebacker YaYa Diaby's contract. He's entering the final season of his rookie deal. "I'd love to have YaYa here long term," Licht said. "He's a very good, young player that's probably a little bit underappreciated, I think, overall for what he's done. He's a good, young player. We like him a lot." ___ AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl