with Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield, the daily learning of a new offense, building relationships with his teammates and getting reps to make a strong connection with pass-catchers is necessary which is more than enough for a person with a shoulder. But his situation is different from other players in his position.
Not only is Mayfield going through the normal process a quarterback must go through to join a new team, but he is also competing for the starting job with Kyle Trask, who has been with the team since 2021.
And there’s also that little reason to have to replace the greatest quarterback to ever play in the NFL, Tom Brady.
If Mayfield wins the starting job for Tampa Bay, he will face 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 AthleticDetailed by Mike Jones.
“Everyone is talking about losing Tom. Yes, he is the greatest quarterback to ever play,” Mayfield said in an interview after a recent practice. “But football is the biggest team sport in the world. And so it takes more than one person. And there are a lot of good pieces here. And, yes, they were beaten last year. I think everyone is hungry and ready to go.”
While Mayfield had the right mindset in the situation, he rightly let it be known how much he knew about Brady’s impact on the game, and this team, during his career. But as the 28-year-old explained, it cannot stop him from playing the way he has throughout his career.
“I’m always on my own. That’s why people either love me or hate me,” Mayfield said, laughing. “So I did it my own way. And I had fun doing it. I had fun while I was doing it. … I respect (Brady) completely, but I’m not going to try to 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 whether he wins the job, will be two interesting topics in the coming weeks and possibly months.
