Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield has gotten the team to play well for the second straight season, almost as well as he did under Tom Brady. Mayfield claims he brings a drastically different vibe to the team than Brady did from 2020-22.
During an interview on the “Casa De Klub” podcast this week, Mayfield revealed what he heard about the locker room atmosphere and culture when Brady was there.
“The building was a little different with Tom there,” Mayfield said. “Obviously, game-wise, Tom is different. He had everyone focused, a very tense environment. So I think everyone was pretty stressed out.
“For me, and because everyone expected the Bucs to not be as good last year, they wanted me to come in, be myself, bring some joy back to football for guys who weren't having as much fun and continue to raise the level of competition. They just asked me to be myself. As a player, you can't really ask for much more than that.”
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield throws the ball into the stands after his 11-yard rushing touchdown during the second half of a game against the Detroit Lions on Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Brady was known for being a perfectionist throughout his career, a habit he picked up during his time with the New England Patriots and strict coach Bill Belichick. Later in his career, Brady even reportedly had trouble sleeping when he made a mistake in a game, even if it was in a game his team had won, according to ESPN.
However, some of Brady's teammates have had different opinions about Brady's presence.
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Tom Brady of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers gives a thumbs up in the third quarter against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium on Oct. 25, 2020, in Las Vegas. (Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Former Buccaneers tight end Kyle Rudolph, who played with Brady in his final season in 2022, said during an interview with NBC Sports in September 2023 that Brady always maintained a positive attitude.
“If anyone had the right to be a jerk at times, it was Tom. He never was. Think how tough the year was for him off the pitch. The most surprising thing to me was that, with all the negativity that was swirling around his life outside of football, he never carried it onto the stadium. He was always positive.
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Cleveland Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, left, talks with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady after a game on Oct. 27, 2019, at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Nick Cammett/Diamond Images via Getty Images)
“My experience with Tom was amazing. First, the way he treated people. The way he treated the Glazer family. [Bucs owners] “That's exactly how he treated the janitor at 6:30 at night when he and maybe one or two other guys were the last players in the building.”
Mayfield, now in his second season as Tampa Bay's starter, has led the team to a 2-0 start to the season following a playoff win last year. The Buccaneers have played so well of late that they cracked the top five in Fox News Digital's latest NFL rankings.
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