Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield recently addressed comments he made about legendary quarterback Tom Brady, after they garnered a response from the seven-time Super Bowl champion himself. Following the Buccaneers’ 33-16 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, Mayfield clarified his remarks, emphasizing that they were not meant to be taken personally.
“I think a lot of that got taken out of context,” Mayfield said after the game. “None of it was personal by any means. It’s just what he demanded of the guys, and that’s the aura of Tom Brady. And that’s what he did to bring a championship here. So, nothing personal.”
Mayfield’s earlier comments came during an appearance on the “Casa de Klub” podcast, hosted by former MLB star Corey Kluber, which aired on September 17.
In that interview, Mayfield discussed the pressure and intensity of playing in a team led by Brady, who spent the final three seasons of his iconic career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Brady, of course, led the team to a Super Bowl victory and three consecutive playoff appearances before retiring after the 2022 season.
Baker Mayfield pointed out the significant difference between his personality and Brady’s, acknowledging that Brady’s leadership style created a high-stress environment.
“The building was a little bit different with Tom in there,” Mayfield said on the podcast. “Obviously, playing-wise, Tom is different. He had everybody dialed in, high-strung environment, so I think everybody was pretty stressed out. They wanted me to come in, be myself, bring the joy back to football for guys who weren’t having as much fun.”
Brady, who was in the Fox broadcast booth calling the Buccaneers’ game against the Eagles, responded to Baker Mayfield’s comments live during the game. When play-by-play announcer Kevin Burkhardt brought up Mayfield’s remarks, Brady humorously quipped, “I thought stressful was not having Super Bowl rings.”
Burkhardt, adding some levity to the exchange, joked that Brady also made the broadcast booth stressful. Brady, with a smile, continued :
“There’s a way to approach this game, and it’s that with the right mindset. You try to push each other outside of our comfort zone, and great teammates do that. You come in, I have someone like (Rob) Gronkowski, I have someone like (Mike) Evans, there’s high expectations for us, and we have to make sure we go out there and deliver.”
Baker Mayfield’s performance praised by Tom Brady
Despite the playful back-and-forth, Brady was highly complimentary of Baker Mayfield during the game. Mayfield threw for 347 yards and two touchdowns on 30-of-47 passing. He played a pivotal role in the Buccaneers’ dominant victory over the Eagles, especially during the first half when Tampa Bay surged to a 24-7 lead. Brady praised Mayfield’s poise and performance throughout his commentary.
Mayfield, who has led the Buccaneers to a strong start this season, is focused on building his own legacy in Tampa Bay.
As Mayfield himself said:
“It’s all about being myself, bringing joy back to football for the guys here. That’s what I’m here to do.”
Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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