Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht shared unique praise for quarterback Baker Mayfield when discussing the quarterback’s return to the organization.

“Well, it means everything,” Licht said about how Mayfield’s toughness bolstered the 2023 Buccaneers, per Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk and the club’s website. “He sets the tone for this team with his — well, for lack of a better word — probably one out of 10, he’s a 10 on the ‘pr—‘ scale…That’s what you want in your offensive linemen. Baker is kind of an offensive lineman in a quarterback’s body. It’s what has rallied this team this year. He’s a big part of it.”

Mayfield seemed pleased with Licht’s comment.

“Thank you, I’ll take that,” the recently-paid signal-caller responded.

Mayfield shared on Wednesday he may have left money on the table by passing on free agency to stay with the Buccaneers in part because “some sacrifices” had to be made to help the club keep other players who were part of a squad that won a home postseason game this past January. Both he and head coach Todd Bowles previously discussed how the Buccaneers wanted to let “Baker be Baker” after the 28-year-old signed a one-year “prove it” contract with the organization last offseason, and Mayfield spoke about that on Wednesday.

“They had all the key pieces and coach Bowles told me from the very beginning [to] just be myself – be passionate, be the fiery leader he knew from the college days,” Mayfield explained. “Just knowing that that was kind of my role within the organization, just to keep pushing guys, see it through. We’re never out of the fight, [so] to have that mentality, even during that midseason lull that we had. It wasn’t fun – losing isn’t fun.”

Bowles may or may not have been on the hot seat when the Buccaneers went from 3-1 to 4-7 this past season. Tampa Bay ultimately claimed the division title with a 9-8 record before the club defeated the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild-card round of the playoffs.

“But, leaning on the veterans – the guys that had been here for years and had won a lot of ballgames, had been to the Super Bowl and won it – leaning on those guys and just trying to show the younger guys the way and trusting that process,” Mayfield continued. “We weren’t trying to reinvent the wheel, but saying, ‘Guys, we’re good enough. If we just do the little things right and we go from there, we can control our own destiny at that point.'”

The three-year contract reportedly worth $100M with a max value of $115M that includes $30M guaranteed in 2024 and $30M (with $20M guaranteed) in 2025 that Mayfield received should let him continue to “be Baker” with the Bucs through at least next season. Assuming he builds upon the success he enjoyed during his first campaign with Tampa Bay, he could potentially sign an extension by this time in 2025.b