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Buccaneers' Jason Licht Reveals 'No Fight' Over Baker Mayfield Decision

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated Jun 21, 2025 10:26 PM ET

The two seasons that Baker Mayfield has been the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback have been some of the best football he's played in his career.

Back-to-back Pro Bowl nods, two division titles, a playoff win, and a career-best season in 2024 (4,500 yards, 41 touchdowns) paint the picture of a player who, after seven years, has finally found a place to call home.

Granted, there were skeptics of the move given Baker was on the scrap heap when he signed in 2023, but the decision has since proven to be the right one.

And General Manager Jason Licht, in an interview with Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, revealed that when the opportunity to sign Baker arose, there was no conflict between him and head coach Todd Bowles.

"Well, yeah, luckily Todd [Bowles] wanted him," Licht said. "We didn't have any kind of fight over that because he was the one that we wanted as well. And, you know, we knew what his ceiling was. And that's pretty damn good quarterback.”

Mayfield has been "pretty darn good" for the Buccaneers, and so much so that in 2025, many are envisioning a deep playoff run for Tampa Bay.

Not since Tom Brady was the quarterback have expectations been this high, and Baker has the talent around him to ensure that, at the very least, the playoffs are achieved.

Now, we know that success in the NFL isn't linear, and there will be ups and downs, but there have been far more ups with Mayfield than downs. However, it must evolve into something tangible.

And if something substantial is achieved, Licht and Bowles will likely feel vindicated in their decision to sign Mayfield back in 2023.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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