Baker Mayfield is facing an enormous challenge this season as he takes the reins as the quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, aiming to fill the void left by none other than the legendary Tom Brady.
Brady, who made an indelible mark during his short stint with the Buccaneers, is widely regarded as the greatest quarterback of all-time.
With the weight of expectation resting heavily on his shoulders, Mayfield was asked whether Brady had reached out to offer words of encouragement or guidance for him.
The former #1 overall pick gave a one-word answer: “No.”
This stark contrast in mentorship became apparent when compared to the experiences of New England Patriots quarterback Mac Jones, who shared that Brady had been a valuable mentor and that they had maintained communication through text messages.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow also admitted that Brady has taken on somewhat of a mentorship role and that they speak from time-to-time.
NFL is finally back this week and then you remember your team replaced Tom Brady with Baker Mayfield pic.twitter.com/8Wz3kXB0Pw
— The Dynasty Grill (@FFDynastyGrill) September 3, 2023
Since his retirement, Tom Brady has re-established a good amount of his connection with the New England Patriots. The franchise plans to honor him during their season opener tomorrow against the Philadelphia Eagles.
While he hasn’t completely distanced himself from Tampa Bay, it’s clear that his two-decade legacy with the Patriots certainly takes precedence over his short stint with the Bucs.
Despite the daunting task of stepping into Brady’s shoes, Mayfield has a golden opportunity of trying to establish himself as a reliable, top-tier quarterback in the league.
How do you think Baker will play this season?
Will he ever be able to put it all together? Or at the end of the day, is he just not starting quarterback material?
