As the old saying goes … “If you come for the king, you best not miss.”
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield might be learning that lesson the hard way after former Bucs quarterback and 7-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady delivered a scathing rebuke of recent comments Mayfield made about Brady’s 3 seasons in Tampa, calling the environment around Brady “high-strung” and “stressed out” and inferring Brady tanked plays if he didn’t like the play call.
Brady, in his first year as a color commentator for Fox Sports, delivered his retort while broadcasting the Week 4 game between the Philadelphia Eagles and Buccaneers on Sept. 29 in Tampa.
Mayfield also said the Buccaneers wanted him to “… come in, be myself. Bring the joy back to football for guys who weren’t having as much fun,” after they signed him to a 1-year, $3 million contract following Brady’s retirement in Feb. 2023.
“I thought stressful was not having Super Bowl rings,” Brady said during the broadcast. “There was the mindset of a champion that I took to work everyday. This wasn’t daycare. If I wanted to have fun, I’d go to Disneyland with my kids.”
Mayfield made his comments during an appearance on the Casa de Klub podcast with ex-MLB pitcher Corey Kluber on Sept. 17.
Mayfield Has Had Unremarkable NFL Career So Far
Other than playing the same position, it’s tough to find a parallel between the careers of Brady, who is widely considered the greatest football player of all time, and Mayfield, who is on his fourth team in 7 seasons and made his first Pro Bowl in 2023.
Mayfield won the Heisman Trophy at Oklahoma and was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL draft by the Cleveland Browns, who traded him to the Carolina Panthers after 4 seasons when they had a chance at a sign-and-trade for Deshaun Watson.
Brady was a sixth-round pick (No. 199 overall) by the New England Patriots in the 2000 NFL draft after splitting time at Michigan with Drew Henson his final season.
In 23 seasons — the first 20 with the Patriots and final 3 with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — Brady won 7 Super Bowls, was a 5-time Super Bowl MVP and 3-time NFL MVP. He owns NFL career records for passing touchdowns, passing yards, playoff passing yards and playoff passing touchdowns.
Brady won a Super Bowl in his first season in Tampa Bay in 2020, led the NFL in passing yards in 2021, led the NFL in completions and pass attempts in 2021 and 2022 and set NFL records for completions (493) and pass attempts (733) in 2022.
Mayfield is yet to play in a conference championship game or a Super Bowl and is on his 4th team in 7 seasons. After making his first Pro Bowl in 2023 with Tampa Bay, he signed a 3-year, $100 million contract with the Buccaneers in March 2024.
Mayfield, Brady Had Brief Interaction Before Game
Mayfield and Brady had a brief but cordial interaction before the game against the Eagles — the first time Brady has covered a game with either of the teams he played for in his career.
Brady also spent time talking with old teammates like 2-time NFL All-Pro offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs, and NFL All-Pro wide receiver Mike Evans, who were both Brady’s teammates during all 3 seasons in Tampa Bay and won a Super Bowl with him following the 2020 season.
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