RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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With no new contract coming, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield needs to be ready to get the most out of the bet he'd making on himself.
And he feels like he's ready to do that physically.
“I think I’m in the best shape I’ve ever been in ,” Mayfield said on the 4th and South podcast, via JoeBucsFan.com. “It took a while to feel healthy enough to actually train and get to that point. But I feel great. You know, you find your routine in the later years of your career and you figure out what works for you schedule-wise, workout-wise, diet-wise — all things you need to adjust and adapt to as the years go on. I feel really good. Yeah, last year I was banged up but, I mean, the whole team was.”
He'll need to find a way to avoid being banged up. Part of his appeal is that he'll play through anything. At some point, however, it impacts his performance.
That's where it could get interesting, if he has multiple injuries through which he's playing in 2026. At some point, Mayfield at less than 100 percent may not be a better option than Jake Browning at full strength. And the coaching staff (and/or the front office) may be inclined to ask him to take a seat, if they think it's in the best interests of the team.
Given the contractual posture, that becomes a potentially dicey move. Mayfield is trying to earn his next contract. He may not take kindly to any talk of being removed temporarily.
It all comes down to Mayfield avoiding unnecessary hits that he has a habit of at times embracing. It's one thing to be healthy when there's no contact. Starting in Week 1, it will be open season on all NFL quarterbacks. Mayfield's short-term interests, and his long-term prospects, may hinge on staying as healthy as he can, for as long as he can.
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