As Baker Mayfield hints at testing the market, Buccaneers have their backup plan

Both sides sound ready if the veteran bolts.

As the NFL free agency period gets closer and closer, suspense grows with it as uncertainty hovers over One Buccaneer Place when it comes to veteran quarterback Baker Mayfield. With several teams reportedly interested in acquiring his services, he and the Bucs have been unable to come to an agreement to retain the signal caller’s services.

Because of that, the soon-to-be 29-year-old sounds like he’s ready to test the free agent market.

Speaking to the YES Network after taking in batting practice with the New York Yankees during their spring training game in Tampa, Mayfield sounds as though he’s ready for hear what other teams have to offer.

“Gonna find out here in the next week or so. Just working on that right now,” Mayfield said when asked about his football future. “And God’s got a plan for me, so just trust in that. One day at a time.”

Mayfield may look to free agency to see if another team offers him a bigger contract than what the Buccaneers may be offering. No one can fault a player for getting the most guaranteed money especially after they just had a career year. But if it plays out that way, where does that leave the Buccaneers?

General manager Jason Licht spoke about the possibilities of losing Mayfield in free agency. Fortunately, they already have a plan in place — which is currently in their building.

“You always have to have — as (former Bucs head coach) Bruce (Arians) would say — to look behind Door 2 and 3 and 4 and 5,” Licht said. “So, yeah, we always feel like we need options. Yeah, we always have to have plans. We also like Door No. 2 that’s right here.”

Who is behind that door is quarterback Kyle Trask, who has been riding the bench since being draft several years back. Learning behind future Hall of Famer Tom Brady and barely losing the competition for the starting job to Mayfield last season, Trask could be primed to step in and finally take over the Bucs starting role.

But what about Mike Evans, who placed his 2023 quarterback in the elite club? They did re-sign him with some potential re-assurances that they could bring back Mayfield. However, Evans is confident— and has proven — that no matter who the quarterback is, he would play just fine with them.

“Absolutely. It’s on record that I’ve played with many quarterbacks throughout my career, so that doesn’t matter,” said Evans during his press conference Friday. “Whoever the quarterback is, he’s an NFL quarterback. But, yeah, me and Baker, we have a really good connection. I think he’s an elite quarterback.”

So as we enter the weekend, roughly two days away from when teams can begin making their pitches to Mayfield, we sit and wait to see what happens when teams start calling Baker and potentially bring him in to their respective building and not let him leave.

And if he doesn’t return, then it’s officially Kyle Trask season.