Jason Licht recently shared his thoughts on Baker Mayfield's contract situation.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' general manager was a guest on the JP Peterson Show on Thursday and was immediately asked about the Mayfield contract issue. Licht instantly made it known that he thinks very highly of Mayfield and doesn't want to see Tampa's quarterback leave.

“First of all, we love Baker,” Licht said. “Nobody wants to see Baker go anywhere else. We’ve had some discussions and we’ll continue to have internal discussions and try to bring this to closure, one way or another. No one wants to see Baker go anywhere. No one is worried about how Baker’s mindset is going to be. I’ve had conversations with him about that and he’s all about wanting to win. He’s in a good place.”

Licht's comments on Mayfield's mindset and expressing confidence that the QB is only focused on football are very similar to what Bucs' head coach Todd Bowles had to say on Thursday.

The GM also made it known how much the organization values Mayfield back in February at the Scouting Combine.

“Our thoughts on Baker haven’t changed,” Licht said at The Combine. “Baker’s been with us three years. We’ve seen the competitor he is, he’s got a lot of arm talent, he’s a leader, all these things. Our plans with Baker haven’t changed. At some point – I don’t have a timetable – I’m sure we’ll be having those discussions.”

At face value, Licht appears to offer unwavering support for getting an extension done with Mayfield. When examining his remarks, however, there are a few things that might be concerning.

Licht says he wants "closure" on this situation "one way or another." Is that an admission that the GM sees a scenario in which Mayfield walks? It definitely doesn't inspire the confidence that saying something like "I'm sure it will get done" would have.

That wasn't the only thing Licht said that may signal a lengthy dispute is coming. He also mentioned that the Bucs have the option to use the franchise tag on Mayfield in 2027.

“All teams can use the franchise tag on a player,” Licht said. “Unless they have it written in their contract. That’s furthest from our mind right now.”

If Licht is mentioning that as a possibility, it doesn't appear to be very far from his mind. While the franchise tag could give the team and Mayfield more time to agree to a long-term deal, it may also cause the relationship between the two sides to crumble. 

Licht also doesn't seem to be working off the same timeline as Mayfield is. While the QB has imposed a deadline of training camp before tabling talks until after the season, Licht doesn't appear to be in a hurry. When Mayfield made his remarks that the two sides were "not anywhere close" to making a deal, Licht seemed to brush that comment off to the side.

“I respect Baker,” Licht said. “He’s free to say whatever he wants to say. That’s the way he’s wired, and I have nothing but love for Baker. I’ll keep all that stuff internal… any discussions that we have. Our feelings about Baker have not changed.”

While Licht does appear to be in favor of keeping Mayfield in Tampa long-term, it sounds like he is hedging his bets. Does Licht believe there is a chance Mayfield leaves or is the GM just doing his job and looking to flex some leverage over a player? 

Mayfield is going to earn a big raise on his next contract. Will Licht and the Bucs be the ones who give it to him? I still think Mayfield stays, but it may take longer than first expected to reach a deal.

If he enters the regular season without an extension, this could be a distraction for the team all year. Both Licht and Bowles believe that Mayfield's game won't be affected if he is forced to play the season without a new contract.

However, the price to keep him certainly will be.

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