Baker Mayfield has earned the right to be a little picky.
Mayfield is a free agent this offseason after leading the Buccaneers to an NFC South title and earning a Pro Bowl bid in the process.
The 28-year-old was asked about his future with the franchise at the Pro Bowl Games on Thursday night.
“It all just kind of depends,” Mayfield told NFL Network’s Cam Wolfe.
“Obviously Tampa, we’re going though a little bit of a (offensive coordinator) search right now. It’ll start there. They were the first ones that gave me a chance, and (I’m) thankful for them. We’ll see. Taking it one day at a time.”
Tampa Bay answered that question Friday morning by hiring Liam Coen as its new offensive coordinator after Dave Canales left to be the Panthers head coach.
According to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Coen worked well with Mayfield during the quarterback’s five-game stint with the Rams during the 2022-23 season.
Mayfield’s success in Los Angeles — after he was unceremoniously dumped by the Panthers — resurrected his career and he signed a one-year, $4 million contract with the Buccaneers last offseason to replace Tom Brady as the team’s starter.
“My agent and them, I think they engaged a little bit,” Mayfield said. “But obviously when Canales left — and happy for him, as well, getting a head coaching job, he deserves that — but when they started the OC search, I think they know that we’ve got to know who’s calling plays before anything’s done.”
Coen has spent the past six years between the Rams and Kentucky — two stints each — in various positions on the teams’ offensive staffs.
The move likely gets Mayfield closer to making Tampa Bay his long-term home after throwing for 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns and 10 interceptions last season.
Mayfield led the Buccaneers to a dominant 32-9 win over the Eagles in the wild-card round, before falling to the Lions, 31-23.
Along with Mayfield, star receiver Mike Evans is a free agent.
“We’re gonna get some pieces back,” Mayfield told Wolfe. “Everything that we did in the back half of the year, to build on culture-wise, it was a great locker room. So, you get a lot of those pieces back and the culture’s the most important thing.
“I know we had a little bit of a lull there halfway through the season, but we stuck through it. I know they hung with us the whole time, but hang in there again.”