Also on the Evans question, I'm not sure that Evans stays even with Brady as QB given Brady couldn't even overcome the Bowles effect.
Evans isn’t staying with any QB in Tampa. No one will say the quiet part out loud. There’s too many mouths to feed in Tampa who aren’t aging HOFers. Mike wants to get his #s and that wasn’t going to happen in Tampa with everyone back at full health. In San Fran he gets to eat and compete and Tampa makes it look like they wanted him to stick around. It’s a win/win. Full stop.
The quiet part but not quiet part is also he left because of our hc.
The biggest lies are the ones we tell ourselves. He didn’t leave because of Bowles.
It was a major factor
Also on the Evans question, I'm not sure that Evans stays even with Brady as QB given Brady couldn't even overcome the Bowles effect.
Evans isn’t staying with any QB in Tampa. No one will say the quiet part out loud. There’s too many mouths to feed in Tampa who aren’t aging HOFers. Mike wants to get his #s and that wasn’t going to happen in Tampa with everyone back at full health. In San Fran he gets to eat and compete and Tampa makes it look like they wanted him to stick around. It’s a win/win. Full stop.
The quiet part but not quiet part is also he left because of our hc.
The biggest lies are the ones we tell ourselves. He didn’t leave because of Bowles.
It was a major factor
Agree. Not 100% on Bowles, but damn close. 3rd and 28...
Or, he could decide to be like M1K3.
Mike left for 3 reasons
1. He tasted greatness with Brady, won a Superbowl. Before that, he was signing extensions with some pretty horrendous football. In 2023, Mike was amped up with a playoff win but the Bucs have sort have showed that they are a .500 squad under Bowles/Baker and Mike's taste of greatness has him craving more. So he left a .500 squad for a perennial playoff team, one of which was ravaged by injures last year and managed to win a playoff game.
2. Kyle Shanahan and 49ers passing game. They have owned us in this stat each of the last 3 years. Hell, even in our prime 2024 top 5 offense season, we had just 1 more passing yard per game than they did in 2024. I personally believe if Mike is trying to pad stats, he would have been better off with his targets in Tampa, but i think he views the offense as better, probably the QBs as comparable - Purdy vs Mayfield.
3. He is thinking about Life after Football and building his Brand; San Fran being a larger market than Tampa
so yes, while it's true that he left because of Bowles, 3rd and 28, etc. - i think his decision came down to other reasons as well
in terms of your comment of He, i assume you mean Baker. I doubt it. QB is the most important position in football so if Baker is tired with mediocre he should look in the mirror. Which i think he does. He knows that his play will dictate how successful the team is so i doubt he leaves a franchise because we went 9-8 or 7-10.
Let's also assume in his hypothetical world that the franchise tag does not exist. Ok, so Baker will have interest from Minnesota and Pittsburgh as well as us. Better coaches on both teams, playing with Jefferson would be enticing. BUT....Baker found a home in Tampa, likes it here for the family, tax reasons, and don't overlook the shit division. Would you rather go against NFC South or the gauntlets - Detroit, Chicago, Green Bay and Baltimore, Cincy, etc. He'd go from being the best QB in the division to 3rd best in either scenario.
now let's say Baker plays at 2024 levels or even 2023 levels and Bucs go 9-8 lose first playoff games. Baker is fed up with Bowles. I am fairly certain the Bucs will choose Baker over Bowles in this situation just like they chose Winston's growth over Lovie and Brady's ego over Arians.
i also think this is business. Baker is saying all the right things and will play with a chip on shoulder. he wants to stay in Tampa but he wants the deal he wants and i think has a bit of loyalty to Tampa given the last shot they gave him. So i dont think he's going to be like you guys and upset that the Bucs brass made him play 2026 to show he's worth the 5 year, $275M.
Well, if he waits and does well, that 5 year $275m is going hasten the reality of deciding which of Licht’s children he loves the least.
If it works out that they do sign him before next season, Licht gets to keep a couple more.
Well, if he waits and does well, that 5 year $275m is going hasten the reality of deciding which of Licht’s children he loves the least.
If it works out that they do sign him before next season, Licht gets to keep a couple more.
what contract is he signing before the season? $5 years, $250M lol
Arians
“I don’t think there’s any concern [over Mayfield's contract negotiations],” Arians said. “It’s just a matter of business. Everybody wants to get the right thing for them. The club wants to get the right thing for them. Baker wants to get the right thing for him and his family. Yeah, I think it’ll work out, and the same with Vita [Vea’s contract].”
“When I look at Baker Mayfield, I think there are some that can look at him and say, ‘Hey, he’s a top-10 quarterback. He is deserving of being paid.’ Like he should have a spot in the $50 million club,” Brooks said on his podcast. “I think his plight is very similar to that of Jared Goff. And we just saw Jared Goff [sign a] four-year, $212 million deal back in ’24.”
“When I look at Baker Mayfield, I think there are some that can look at him and say, ‘Hey, he’s a top-10 quarterback. He is deserving of being paid.’ Like he should have a spot in the $50 million club,” Brooks said on his podcast. “I think his plight is very similar to that of Jared Goff. And we just saw Jared Goff [sign a] four-year, $212 million deal back in ’24.”
yeah clearly. It's those expecting that we are going to get baker for 40 or 45M at a discount if he signs now that are not living in the real world.
He either signs for 50M+ now....or he signs for 50M+ in February 2027.
Of course, we could sign him now, he tears his ACL in week 7 and we can be wondering why we premature ejac.....er um....
With him im really more curious if he can get back to playing how he did early in the season when he was really in the mix for mvp. Then he definitely got banged up and was never the same and also just mentally wasn't the best because of it too so he wasn't sharp on some plays that maybe should have even if banged up. So I'm sure we're wondering how he plays this year and the extent of how much we rely on him. Pretty reasonable deciding factor in whether to sign him to an extension or not.
With him im really more curious if he can get back to playing how he did early in the season when he was really in the mix for mvp. Then he definitely got banged up and was never the same and also just mentally wasn't the best because of it too so he wasn't sharp on some plays that maybe should have even if banged up. So I'm sure we're wondering how he plays this year and the extent of how much we rely on him. Pretty reasonable deciding factor in whether to sign him to an extension or not.
If he’s healthy, and Robinson ends up being legit; he’ll ball out.
With him im really more curious if he can get back to playing how he did early in the season when he was really in the mix for mvp. Then he definitely got banged up and was never the same and also just mentally wasn't the best because of it too so he wasn't sharp on some plays that maybe should have even if banged up. So I'm sure we're wondering how he plays this year and the extent of how much we rely on him. Pretty reasonable deciding factor in whether to sign him to an extension or not.
a sensible take
Purdy vs Mayfield.
I’d say Mayfield is better. Purdy is a good QB for what Shanahan wants to do. Listen and execute exactly what Kyle wants. Mike is there to pad stats on his way to Canton. Not that Mayfield ignores his OC’s play but, Mayfield is much better off script than Purdy is and he has a much, much stronger arm. That is the one thing that will take some getting used to for Mike. Mike has had a lot of really strong armed QBs throwing to him over the years.
