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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are "closing in" on a three-year, $100 million deal with quarterback Baker Mayfield, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler and Adam Schefter reported on Sunday (March 10), which was confirmed in a statement obtained by Mayfield shortly after the initial report.
“I wanted a chance to come back," Mayfield said via Schefter. “I love coach [Todd] Bowles and the staff. I’m happy to be here and I want to win more in the postseason.”
Mayfield, 28, who represented the Bucs in the Pro Bowl, told NFL Network's Cameron Wolfe that the team was aware "that we've got to know who's calling plays before anything's done" while discussing his upcoming free agency status in February.
Mayfield made four starts and appeared in five games under recently hired offensive coordinator Liam Coen after being traded to the Los Angeles Rams midway through the 2022 season, which included going 1-3 and throwing for 850 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions on 364 of 566 passing.
The former No. 1 overall pick experienced a career resurgence during his lone season with the Bucs in 2023, throwing for career-best 4,044 yards and 28 touchdowns while winning the NFC South Division title with a 9-8 overall regular season record. Mayfield's new deal comes days after the Bucs and wide receiver Mike Evans have agreed to terms on a new two-year deal that stopped him from entering free agency later this month.
Evans has spent his entire NFL career with the Buccaneers since being selected by the franchise at No. 7 overall in the 2014 NFL Draft and enters his 11th NFL season as the Buccaneers' franchise record holder for career receptions (762), receiving yards (11,680) and receiving touchdowns (94) and is coming off a season in which he tied Tyreek Hill of the Miami Dolphins as co-NFL receiving touchdown leaders (13). The former Texas A&M standout was a key contributor on the Buccaneers' Super Bowl LV team, as well as a two-time second-team All-Pro (2016, 2023) and a five-time Pro Bowler (2016, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023).