Baker Mayfield will become a free agent in March, but the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are certainly acting like he will be back with the team for 2024 and beyond.

Mayfield confirmed Saturday that the Buccaneers had sought his input on offensive coordinator candidates, including the team’s ultimate hire, Liam Coen. The quarterback admitted this was the first time in his career any team had sought his input like that, and he seemed pleased that they had.

The Bucs actually asked Baker Mayfield for his input on all the coaches they were interviewing, including Liam Coen. “Do I know them? Do I have any interaction? What are my thoughts on that?” Mayfield said, adding that it was a “first” for him to be involved in that.

— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) February 3, 2024

It is not clear how decisive Mayfield’s input was, but it probably is not a coincidence that the Buccaneers hired Coen, who worked with Mayfield during the quarterback’s brief stint with the Los Angeles Rams in 2022.

Mayfield has said he would prefer to stay with the Buccaneers, but he put a high priority on the team’s ultimate choice of offensive coordinator. The two sides seem to be on the same page, and as long as that spirit continues into contract talks, it is hard to imagine Mayfield playing anywhere else in 2024.