For Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, the day-to-day of learning a new offense, building rapport with his teammates and getting in reps to create a strong connection with pass-catchers should be more than enough for someone to have to shoulder. But his situation is different from any other player at his position.
Not only is Mayfield going through the normal process that a quarterback joining a new team must do, but he’s also competing for the starting job with Kyle Trask, who’s been with the team since 2021.
And there’s also that small factor of having to replace arguably the greatest quarterback to ever play in the NFL, Tom Brady.
If Mayfield does win the starting job for Tampa Bay, he’ll be faced with the tall task of taking the reins of an offense previously led by Brady, who led the franchise to a Super Bowl victory in his first season. Fortunately, Mayfield doesn’t care about the noise, the expectations or the task at hand, and he addressed that recently, as The Athletic’s Mike Jones detailed.
“Everybody talks about Tom’s gone. Yes, he is the greatest quarterback to ever play,” Mayfield said in an interview after a recent practice. “But football is the greatest team sport in the world. And so it takes a lot more than just one person. And there’s a lot of good pieces here. And, yeah, they were banged up last year. I think everybody’s hungry and ready to go.”
While Mayfield has the right mindset on the situation, he rightfully made it known how aware he is of the impact Brady had on the game, and this team, during his career. But as the 28-year-old explained, it’s not going to deter him from being himself and playing the way he has throughout his career.
“I’ve always been myself. That’s kind of why people either love or hate me,” Mayfield said, laughing. “So I do it my own way. And I enjoy doing it. I have fun while I’m doing it. … I respect (Brady) completely, but I’m not going to ever try and be him. I’m not built like him. I don’t play like him. So just, yeah, try to be the best version of myself.”
The Buccaneers have the weapons to put Mayfield in position to succeed, should he be named the starter. But whether he does, and if he even winds up winning the job, will be two very interesting topics over the coming weeks and potentially months.
