Ric Flair sends strong message to Baker Mayfield after Buccaneers' loss vs Lions
Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have Ric Flair in their corner after the Detroit Lions defeated them in the Divisional round. It was a heartbreaking loss as they ran the scoreboard close at 31-23 on the road.
But that they were here at all was a huge testament to how the team and Baker Mayfield have played this year. After Tom Brady's retirement, this was supposed to be a season of transition. Their cap space was one of the worst in the league and were looking at a new starting quarterback. Even with the GOAT, they finished last year with a 8-9 losing record and went out in the Wild Card round.
Therefore, even though the Lions eliminated the Buccaneers, their fans were happy overall with how the season ended. Ric Flair certainly counts himself as one and was full of praise for Baker Mayfield. He wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter,
"@bakermayfield,We’ve Only Met Once. As Of Today, I Have So Much Respect For You And The @Buccaneers!
He even went on to say that he would love to hang out wiht the quarterback and get to know him better. He continued,
You Played Your Heart Out. You’re A Badass! I Live In Tampa. I Don’t Have Your Number. I Would Love To Hang Out With You! You’re Such A Badass! I’m So Proud To Say That I’m A Buccaneers Fan! To The Whole Buccaneers Team, God Bless You! You Went Places You Weren’t Supposed To Go! Next Year, Let’s Kick Ass! WOOOOO!"
Baker Mayfield needed that pick-me-up from Ric Flair
Getting a shoutout from Ric Flair is definitely not the worst way to end a season. But Baker Mayfield was crestfallen after the game as it was his interception that ended the match. It was his second pick of the day and came during the two-minute warning. Instead of leading the Buccaneers to a late game-tying drive, he allowed Jared Goff and the Lions to wind the clock down.
But as Ric Flair alluded to, the quarterback did not play a shabby game. He also had three touchdowns and kept Tampa Bay in the game when they were down 14 points in the fourth quarter, with a scoring pass to Mike Evans.
Their year might have ended sooner than Baker Mayfield had hoped but for fans like Ric Flair, they had already exceeded expectations. It is safe to say that their upcming season will begin with more optimism. At least they won't have to scout for a new starting quarterback like they had to do last year after Tom Brady's retirement.