After Tom Brady retired, Baker Mayfield replaced him as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ starting quarterback. Recently, Mayfield turned heads with some criticism of Brady, which the NFL legend responded to while calling Sunday’s Buccaneers-Eagles game.
What Did Tom Brady Say About Baker Mayfield’s Comments?
When Mayfield signed with Tampa Bay, he had big shoes to fill, but he and the Bucs exceeded all expectations. They took the NFC South crown for a third straight season and won a playoff game, defeating the Philadelphia Eagles in the Wild Card Round and challenging the Detroit Lions in the Divisional Round.
Mayfield’s terrific play was a big reason for the Buccaneers’ success. He had a career year, throwing for 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions. This earned him a three-year, $100 million contract, and he’s picking up right where he left off this season.
Recently, Mayfield described the Bucs’ vibes when Brady was under center and how it compares to the current environment.
“The building was a little bit different with Tom in there. Obviously, playing-wise, Tom is different. He had everybody dialed in, high-strung environment, so I think everybody was pretty stressed out,” Mayfield said. “They wanted me to come in, be myself, bring the joy back to football for guys who weren’t having as much fun.”
Mayfield has repeatedly said that he has never tried to be like Brady and that the Bucs have always just asked him to be himself. However, this comment certainly can be interpreted as a slight against Brady, who helped the Bucs win their second Super Bowl in franchise history.
During Sunday’s Bucs-Eagles game, Brady and Mayfield chatted before the game, and everything seemed alright between the two. However, during the broadcast, Brady fired back at Mayfield.
“I thought stressful was not having Super Bowl rings?” Brady said. “There was a mindset of a champion that I took to work every day. This wasn’t daycare … If I was going to have fun, I was going to Disneyland with my kids.
“There’s a way to approach this game, and it’s with the right mindset and try to push each other outside of our comfort zones, and good teammates do that. … There’s high expectations for us, and we have to make sure we go out there and deliver. No apologies.”
Tom Brady responds to claims from Baker Mayfield that Buccaneers players "weren't having fun" playing alongside him.
"I thought stressful was not having Super Bowl rings. If I wanted to have fun, I was going to go to Disneyland with my kids."pic.twitter.com/G86fUGYfAE
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing)
What makes Mayfield’s comment even more shocking is that Brady praised Mayfield after his excellent Week 1 showing against the Washington Commanders, selecting him as one of his three “Stars of the Game.”
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“Down in Tampa Bay, Baker Mayfield threw four touchdowns, two to my boy Mike Evans, one to Chris Godwin — what a performance,” Brady said. “Baker, I wish I took you in fantasy. A great start — finding Mike, finding Chris — having that type of performance at home. That’s exactly what the team needs. Great job!”
After the Bucs-Eagles game, it will be interesting to see if Mayfield shares any details about his pregame conversation with Brady, or if he has anything to say about Brady’s response.
