Mayfield, Bucs still apart on extension
Buccaneers beat writer Rick Stroud joins Chris Simms to discuss Baker Mayfield's contract negotiations, Tampa Bay's expectations entering 2026 and what lies ahead for the Buccaneers.
Video Transcript
All right, we're happy to be joined by Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
Of course, covers the Bucs.
Rick, I gotta ask right out of the gate, 'cause I sit next to this guy almost every day of the season, what was it like covering Buccaneers quarterback Chris Simms?
Was he as big of a pain of a, an ass- back then as he is now?
I tell you what, man.
I couldn't stand that Chris Simms guy.
You know what I mean?
Nah, he was, he was a joy.
He really was.
And, we had a lot of fun.
He won some games too.
I think people probably, don't remember getting in the postseason, doing some stuff.
So yeah, it was, it was good times back then, man.
Football team wasn't as good as, as, as it was a little bit later, but it's, it was good times.
Yeah, it was, it was.
It was good times.
You know, and I was curious too, 'cause we, we talk about this a lot, right?
Especially with players nowadays, you know, sometimes taking it personal what beat writers write and stuff like that.
And I'm like, this is part of the business.
Right.
And you know, uh- Yeah a- and, it, I You know, whether it was you or Ira Kaufman back in the day, you might've said something bad about me, I didn't g- like come in the locker room going, "Where are those assholes-" " that talked to me like that?"
Like, it was my job to prove you wrong.
But off of that, what was the worst thing you ever wrote about me?
Do you, do you thi- do you remember?
Do you remember anything you ever wrote about me that was really bad?
I don't really.
I, I'd have to think about it.
I, I mean, I know, you know, you went through the whole I mean, it was horrible what you went through with the spleen and all of that.
I, I got in trouble with Bruce Allen because he called me a liar and Dr. Stroud and all this other stuff.
But I had a pretty good source on, on those stories.
So no, you were fine.
I mean, I've, I've had run-ins with players, there's no doubt about that.
I had one the other day, Aqib Talib was in town, and me and him, he was the one guy I thought was gonna come off the bench and, and take a swing one day.
But we actually get along very well now and, and, you know, Ronde Barber I think shoved me out of the locker room and probably saved me, from getting decked.
But, you know, you, you have those run-ins.
Antonio Brown was, was one that, you know, I wrote about him and the vaccination cards.
He got suspended, and then we know how that ended with, with him, going Magic Mike on, you know, on, on, in the Jets game.
But- Right you know- it, it's part of the business.
I've done it for way too long than I care to admit.
And if you show up every day and you try to get it right, Chris, as you know, I think guys appreciate that.
That's right.
And, and they got their say.
You're there to be accountable and, and that's all we can be.
Yeah.
That, that, that's ex- that's exactly right.
That, that's what it is.
It's always like I said, always on the players to prove the beat writers or anybody wrong that's writing negative about them.
Right.
You take that challenge on.
Sure.
Now, all right, so we, we want you We're, we're, you're here of course 'cause I love you, I think you're the man.
We wanna talk about Baker Mayfield, but I'd like to- Yeah unpack a few things first that just went on in the off-season, right?
Sure.
And I think right away the first one is we, season ended and we weren't sure what was gonna happen with Todd Bowles.
Was he gonna be back, right?
So why don't you kind of tell us how that unfolded and kind of where the bar is for Todd Bowles this season and expectations there in Tampa?
Yeah, you know, Chris, I'm asked this a lot, and I think every NFL coach, unless you're Andy Reid or maybe Kyle Shanahan or somebody, goes into every year knowing they gotta win, right?
And it, that's no different with Todd Bowles.
I think the Glazer family really loves Todd Bowles.
I think they appreciate, the kind of man he is, what he's about.
You know, they went through a, a tough transition salary cap wise.
Nobody wants to hear about that, but they spent a lot of money when Tom Brady was here on players and, you know, they, they had to make that transition.
And Todd was willing to take that on and, and do some things on defense and, and, you know, they were fortunate, I think, to get Baker Mayfield when they did.
But you know, he's, he's liked in this organization.
Now, you know, he, he made it to the playoffs, you know, for what?
The first, three years I think.
Yeah.
Or two- Yeah or three years.
Three years in a row, and then last year of course they missed.
But, if you can win the NFC South and hang those banners, they tend to like that.
They get that extra home playoff game.
That, that helps the revenue a little bit.
But they, there's no question, they wanna win Super Bowls here in Tampa Bay, and I give the Glazers credit for being patient.
Continuity wins in this league.
They haven't had it on offense, Chris.
They've had five offensive coordinators in as many years, and so that's difficult on that side of the ball.
So we'll see what happens, but, I, I think, you know They signed him to a three-year extension a, a year ago.
I think this is the first year of that extension- Yeah if that matters.
But he's generally liked here by the owners.
Good.
Rick, I feel like you've, you've seen it all in Tampa, but there's not many constants in NFL history like Mike Evans.
A- and I know it's early, but what is the dynamic like without him being around the organization?
It just feels like a guy we're so accustomed to with Tampa for so long.
Yeah, it's gonna be difficult.
You know, him and Lavonte David, Chris, you know, when you lose leaders like that And, and they're not, they're not appointed, right?
They have to earn that.
And, and those two guys did it.
And I think the ca- in the case of Mike, what's gonna really be missed is the energy, and the competitiveness level that he brings to his football team every single play.
This guy hates to lose.
He wants to win every route.
He wants to gut you in the end zone.
I think the 49ers are gonna benefit from that if he can stay healthy, and he has until last year.
So it's a big void, but I think even Mike knew, you know, last year they took Ameka Buchan in the first round, and they're very deep at wide receiver.
Mike still wants 1,000 catches.
He has goals.
He saw that his targets might not be what they, what they, he wants them to be in Tampa Bay.
And, and frankly, he took less money to go to San Francisco.
So, you know, a lot more continuity of play calling out there with, with Kyle.
He's learning a different offense every year the last five years here.
So there's good reasons why he did it, and if not now, you know, when is he gonna do it?
Yeah.
So- Yeah he'll always be a Buccaneer, but, it's a big loss and, and somebody's gotta fill those shoes.
Yeah, I know.
He, he's a Buccaneers legend, like you said.
I mean, he's gonna be in the ring of honor, everything.
He's the man there.
Oh, yeah.
Were you, were you surprised though?
You know, like you explained Did you, did you have an inkling to go, "You know, I, he might not stay here in Tampa even if they offer him more money," or, or did it totally catch you off guard?
Well, it wasn't totally off guard.
I mean, I really thought he'd be a Buc for life.
That's what he said he was with his last contract.
But, you know, I, I talked to Chris Godwin in the off season one time, and he mentioned that it would be weird to see Mike in another uniform, and he just I don't know if it was just serendipitous, but he goes, "I mean, I can't imagine him, like, in a 49ers uniform."
And I thought, well, turns out he ended up going to the 49ers, so maybe he knew something.
But I did think it was possible.
You know, i- it, it feels like he's that, that generational player that should play in one uniform.
But look, w- we've seen, you know, Tom Brady came here.
We've seen it happen all through the league all the time.
So, you know, not surprised totally, but I know they're really disappointed here in Tampa that he did leave.
Right.
It still feels wild that Reuben Bain is on this team after the draft.
We knew he'd slide a little bit in the draft, but to make it to Tampa- Unbelievable and we saw the reaction in the draft room- Totally warranted.
What are your early- Yeah impressions of Reuben Bain, Rick?
Somebody's gotta explain to me how that happens, right?
How does he get to number 15?
Right.
I mean, and I'm just You know, just from the tape alone, and you could talk about hand size or arm length and all this kind of business.
All I know is that when that guy goes, and I mean at practice, right?
Now, we haven't seen him in pads.
He hasn't done- Sure anything, that, that would, you know, really, define him as an NFL player.
But, he, he just He has a different approach, you know?
A different motor, strong hands.
He's You know, a lot of these pass rushers come to the league, as you know, Chris, out of the, out of college football, and they're outside rushers.
They do it with speed.
And then they find out they're going up against grown men, and they're gonna have to do a little, little bit more with power and c- and, and hand, hand placement.
He's got the whole package.
I mean, this guy will get underneath your chin and, and just make, you know, trouble for anybody that tries to block him.
So, you hate to put a lot on him, but you should, because, I mean, he was that player in college.
And, and, and I think, I think he's a guy that we could be talking about as Defensive, Rookie of the Year this year, Chris, unless I miss my mark.
And, and, and I really think he's a special talent.
And when you have him and a Josiah Trotter, who I think's gonna play a lot, if not start- Yeah those are two 23-year-olds that can be the foundation of this defense for years to come.
I'm not gonna say they're Sapp and Brooks just yet.
You know those guys- Yeah in Canton.
Yeah.
But, but I'm telling you, when you have an edge rusher and an inside linebacker that's gonna start every game at age 23 on, that's really something to build around.
Yeah, it definitely is.
It, it's in- it's impressive.
And, and, of course, you know, playing with Trotter's dad at one point, and I was down- Yeah there in Tampa with him.
It's crazy to see- Yeah that full circle.
The one thing that jumps out to me about Bain, and you could tell me right or wrong, I'm just He seems very mature for a rookie.
Oh, yeah.
Right?
The way he answers and talks to the media and what he expects of himself, I found that very impressive about him.
Yeah, he's even got that '70s haircut, man.
He could be on Magnum, P.I.- or something- Seriously flying around in a helicopter.
But yeah, no, he, he is a mature guy.
Mm-hmm.
But c- Chris, you know those guys down there in, in Miami and, and, that area, you know, where Levante David went to high school.
I mean, football, football means a lot.
It's, it's, it's not just, like, a sport that they play.
Oh, yeah.
It's really a lifestyle.
And, and these guys, you know, try to top each other, and, and he is.
He's a mature cat.
We saw him, you know, snatch the hat on his way to hugging Roger Goodell and all of that.
But he's a serious dude, and there's no doubt about that.
And I think those are the guys in the off-season, Chris, that they tried to, to, to bring in here, right?
They needed some badassery on this football team.
Nothing against Levante David.
He was a great player for years.
But you need some of those guys that have that edge, like Sapp had, like Brooks had.
Guys that'll You know, whether it's Hason Robinson or Alex Anzalone, guys that'll get- Yeah after it just a little bit and hold their teammates to a higher standard in practice during the week, not just in the games.
Yeah, I, I hear that all the way.
The defense was disappointing last year, and it did seem like there was- For sure you know, not leadership or Or they're almost content just getting torn apart at times last year.
That's what it felt like.
Which was crazy to see with Todd Bowles as, as the defensive head coach.
All right.
Yeah.
So off of this, let's talk about the quarterback a little bit.
Baker Mayfield.
Mm-hmm.
I mean, the Bucs have been so lucky the last few years, basically with a gift card a- as far as paying their quarterback here.
Yeah.
What do you expect?
What's the most recent update and things you know about Baker Mayfield and this contract situation?
Well, Chris, I mean, it could happen any time.
Hopefully not while I'm on the, on with you.
But I, I really believe that, you know, when you have these two sides that, that, that wanna get something done, in, in my experience in this league, that's when it happens, right?
Now, Baker has, has, you know, put a deadline on.
I, I talked to him in the off-season at his camp, and at that point the Bucs had given him their initial offer, and it was so disappointing, he said, that his, his agent didn't even counter.
It was, it was that far off the mark.
Now, you know, i- it's just one offer, right?
But I mean, if you look at the NFL and what Baker has done, you know, there's a lot of guys making well over $30 million in this league.
I, I gotta believe that, that, you know, it's gonna be in the $50 million range.
The big thing is, like, he's 31 years old, and, you know, that's not old for a quarterback.
He's in his prime.
But Baker, while he hasn't missed any games here, I think he's one of three quarterbacks to start the last 51 games, but he plays He gets injured, right?
Totally.
And it affects his play, and we saw that affect his play last season in particular down the stretch.
I mean, they were 5-1, 6-2.
He was the MVP candidate.
And then the injuries, you know, really started in week two.
He had a torn or, or, or a sprained MCL, sprained PCL, right forearm injury, you know, abdominal injury.
Like, all these things, and they affected his throwing mechanics.
They affected his ability to scramble.
He had went three games without a rushing attempt.
He, he had a fourth quarter interception a bunch of games down the stretch.
So, you know, the guys up front were not very good.
They lost a lot of their offensive linemen.
But by the same token, Baker plays, you know, with his hair on fire, but, but he's gotta be smarter.
And even Todd Bowles has finally said that, that he's gotta be smarter early in games and, and different parts of games to protect himself, and I don't know that he's capable of doing that.
And, and we'll see.
He's not Josh Allen.
He thinks he's Josh Allen.
Yeah.
He's not Josh Allen.
But he, but he tries to play like him, and I think that that can get him in trouble sometimes.
Rick, when you say all that, do you think that makes for a situation that Tampa wants to actually see a different version of Baker this year before they make that kind of offer?
Or do you think that's not in their mind, he's done enough, where it's like, "Okay, let's find a way to get this, meet in the middle this summer"?
I think they wanna meet in the middle, but, but, but it wouldn't be the worst thing, right?
Like, at the end of the day- Yes first of all, we know that Baker has, you know, the world's biggest chip on his shoulder.
He came here and played for $4 million, okay?
I'm not sure you wanna bet against him.
He walked on at Texas Tech, he walked on at Oklahoma.
He won the Heisman.
He was the first overall pick.
Confidence is not his problem, and sometimes when you back him in a corner, that's when he's at his best.
So okay, you don't get a deal done with him to start the regular season.
He's gonna go out there and absolutely play with his hair on fire, maybe even more motivated- Yeah like I'll show you.
The danger in that is, yeah, you could franchise him, but there's a bunch of dead money to add to that.
You know, what if he decides at the end of the year, all right, Matthew Stafford's retiring, I'm gonna go out here and play- Right for Sean McVay now.
That's right.
Yeah.
that's, that's the risk, right?
So you'd like to lock him up, and I, again, I think both sides want this to happen.
Baker's really happy here in Tampa.
He said it's gonna be his forever home even if he does go somewhere else.
The Tampa community loves him.
But it is a business.
It's not show friends, it's show business, so we'll see how that all comes together.
But I, I think, you know, it would not be the worst scenario if he does play out his current con- He's gonna make $40 million this year- either way.
So you know, he's got, he's got good money there.
And they still have the franchise tag.
So we'll see how it goes.
I, I think you're right though.
What I'd be scared of, he plays really well, he feels disrespected.
Right.
He's a guy that's got a chip on his shoulder anyway, and now you give him- Right three more chips on his shoulder.
Right.
And he's like, "Oh wait, there's some other options and you guys don't wanna pay me, huh?"
Absolutely.
"Screw you, I'm outta here."
Emotional negotiating.
Yeah.
But, but yeah, exactly.
Yeah.
But Rick, so you feel more likely than not though that this'll happen before training camp ends?
You, i- that's your gut feeling?
Yeah, before it ends is a good marker, Chris, 'cause he, he said the start of training camp.
I think you look, if the negotiations are going well, there's no reason to pull the plug on that.
Right.
But yeah, I, I do feel pretty good about it.
And again, it's just I haven't had a lot of conversations with Tommy's agent or, or, or Jason in particular.
I just know both sides really wanna get something done, and this is a quarterback you're talking about, a franchise player for the next three, four years.
Yeah.
You know, that's not a guy you wanna divorce necessarily.
But they do have some other options, like we said.
You know, Mike Evans did the same thing one year.
He said, "I wa- I'm not gonna talk about a contract once the season starts."
He didn't.
He played out his year.
He got a, his thousand, and then on, you know, early March before they got to free agency, they signed him to a two-year, $52 million deal.
Yeah.
And they thought he was a Buc for life, which he's not.
But nonetheless, he played out his option and ended up right back here in Tampa.
So anything can happen, but I do feel like something will happen before the start of the season.
All right.
And g- it's north of 50 million, but it sounds like to you, you think the big thing is gonna be guarantees and how the money- Yeah is spread out, especially 'cause of the way he's played and his injuries and all, and all of that.
That's gonna be the, the last big piece of the puzzle I guess is what you're saying.
Well, it could, it could well be.
And it's like, you know, is, is it three years guaranteed, 150 million?
Is it four years, 200 million?
Like, are they just gonna give him two-year guarantee?
Yeah.
You know, they, those contracts as you know, Chris, look really good until you see what they're guaranteeing.
And sometimes those extra years don't really matter.
They can still let you go and you get zero.
So you know, that, that's the big factor here.
He did well, you know, for all the things that happened, to him.
He played for 4 million.
He got $100 million, which is great and, and, and he's gonna add to that.
So he's gonna be well, very well off.
But I, I do think that, you know, it, it's not so much the average annual salary.
He can do a lot of things with that.
To me it's about am I gonna be the starting quarterback of the Buccaneers for the next two years, the next three years?
How much faith do they have in me?
What are they willing to put on paper?
Yeah.
All right.
All right, one last question for you before you go here.
Just because it's become a hot debate here with the World Cup, I talked to George Kittle about it, Connor and I talk about it all the time, and I'm just curious, do you hear the players talk about the grass field situation a whole lot in the locker room when you're around, right?
Es- you know, especially in, in, in, in wake of the World Cup, and them bringing in grass for a lot of these stadiums?
It's a great question.
I don't hear as much because as you know, Chris, Tampa has a grass field.
Right, yeah.
And one of the best in the league typically.
I know those guys and you do too.
They, nobody likes to play on turf, and it's been interesting.
You know, they finally built an indoor facility here, Chris.
You would really love it back in your day.
But it's got carpet and, whereas Bruce Arians had no trouble getting those guys out of the heat and getting on that, Todd Bowles wants no part of it.
He rarely has them practice indoors because of the turf.
He do- he's, he feels like, you know, it might have an adverse effect for them- Exactly especially the bigger guys, right?
Right.
So you gotta balance that.
But there's no question, and I've never understood it.
This league has billions of dollars.
Why don't they just You know, I think, I think the World Cup proved you can have the turf fields in the indoor stadiums.
And so I, I hope that, that these players get together and, and the owners agree with them and, and try to make that happen.
But yeah, I've never met a player that prefers to play on anything but natural grass.
I could be wrong.
Nah, there you go.
That's all, we just like, more people piling on the situation to make, you know- viewers and people understand.
Yeah.
'Cause I, I, I do think non-football players don't understand the, how big of a deal- No it is at times.
And hey, we wanna thank you.
You're the man, Rick.
Appreciate you coming on.
And I- Sure I mean, just be ready with your bat phone because- if something happens in Tampa Bay, we're, we're calling you, all right?
I hope you know that.
Love your guy.
All right.
And it's great to talk with you, Chris, anytime.
All right.
Thanks, Rick.
See you later.
See you, bud.
