Baker Mayfield shares massive update on Buccaneers future

Quarterback Baker Mayfield currently has the 6-7 Tampa Bay Buccaneers atop the NFC South standings thanks to tiebreaker advantages. 

He made it known this week he'd like to remain with the franchise via a new contract. 

"I would love that," Mayfield said about staying with Tampa Bay during a recent conversation with Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk. "God’s got a plan for me. If we win games that all should take care of itself, but I’m going to enjoy [this past Sunday's victory over the Atlanta Falcons] and then on to the next. We control our destiny, so it’s one-game-at-a-time mentality"

Mayfield failed to cement himself as a long-term QB1 with the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams before he signed a one-year "prove it" deal with the Buccaneers this past offseason. According to ESPN stats, the first overall pick of the 2018 NFL Draft ended Week 14 ranked 18th in the league among qualified players with a 52.3 adjusted QBR, 17th with an 89.7 passer rating, tied for 14th with 2,934 passing yards and tied for ninth with 20 touchdowns through the air on the campaign. 

As of early Wednesday afternoon, the ESPN Football Power Index gave the Buccaneers a 44.5% chance to make the playoffs. At that same time, oddschecker listed Tampa Bay as a 3.5-point road underdog for this Sunday's game at the 6-7 Green Bay Packers. 

"I mean, as competitors, you know, the mentality of being an underdog and nobody really giving us a chance after we lost a few close games, that’s something that you can cherish, you can harness that and really just turn all your energy and passion into this one-game-at-a-time mentality that we control our destiny," Mayfield added during his chat with Florio. "That’s what we have to have."

Tampa Bay, Atlanta and the New Orleans Saints all sit at 6-7 heading into Week 15. If Mayfield proves to be the division's top signal-caller over the season's final four weeks, he and the Buccaneers could participate in a home playoff game come January.