"This wasn’t daycare": Tom Brady claps back as Baker Mayfield dubs retired QB's Bucs stint as 'stressful'
Baker Mayfield had the tall task of taking over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense after Tom Brady. During the live broadcast of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, Mayfield's comments about making the team fun again were shown.
Tom Brady, who was calling the game for FOX Sports, quickly responded to Mayfield's comments. The seven-time Super Bowl winning quarterback insisted that his approach was the only way to bring a Super Bowl back to Tampa Bay.
“I thought stressful was not having Super Bowl rings. This wasn’t daycare. ... If I was going to have fun, I was going to Disneyland with my kids. There’s a way to approach this game and it’s with the right mindset to push teammates."
Tom Brady then finished his thoughts on the matter by saying that he doesn't apologize for the mindset he had during his over two-decade NFL career.
What did Baker Mayfield say about the Bucs mindset after Tom Brady?
Tom Brady spent the final three seasons of his NFL career with the Buccaneers. He won a Super Bowl during his first season with the team and led them to the playoffs in all three seasons.
After his retirement, Baker Mayfield signed a one-year deal with Tampa Bay, as he looked to revitalize his career. Mayfield spoke about the mindset of the team when he arrived there while on the "Case de Klub" podcast. The quarterback said the team wanted him to bring his personality to a team that has been so stressed out with Brady:
"The building was a little bit different with Tom in there. Obviously, playing-wise, Tom is different. He had everybody dialed in, high-strung environment, so I think everybody was pretty stressed out. They wanted me to come in, be myself, bring the joy back to football for guys who weren't having as much fun."
Mayfield went on to say that he was told that Brady would throw the ball to the sidelines if he didn't like the play calling.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers definitely had success during Tom Brady's tenure, something they hadn't had in years. Baker Mayfield's approach to the team has also brought success. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the NFC South in 2023 and made their fourth consecutive playoff appearance, which led to a win over the Philadelphia Eagles in the wild card round.