“He’s in the same situation as Cam Newton” - Shannon Sharpe shuts down idea of Baker Mayfield playing behind Tom Brady
Baker Mayfield is one of the most prominent NFL quarterbacks who doesn't have a dance partner for the 2022 season. The former Heisman Trophy winner requested a trade from the Cleveland Browns after a rollercoaster four seasons and is currently looking for a new home.
One possibility for Mayfield is backing up Tom Brady on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Shannon Sharpe addressed the rumors on Undisputed. He doesn't believe it will happen. Sharpe said,
“I don't. I don't see it happening, and let me tell you why. I just don't see Baker going somewhere where he has no chance of playing. At least, if he was released, he gets an opportunity to choose. Now, he and his representative got to choose the best spot. ‘Okay, where can I go? If I play the way I think I can play, something transpires, I get an opportunity to get into the lineup.’ Because here's the thing, he's in the same situation as Cam Newton."
Sharpe's comparison of Baker Mayfield to Cam Newton is apt. Both quarterbacks are former number one overall picks and Heisman Trophy winners, and they share similar personalities.
The personality factor is what Newton and Mayfield share the most. Sharpe also acknowledged that Newton's resume is more impressive than Mayfield's. Sharpe said,
"You couldn't envision Cam being a backup because of his personality and what he's accomplished. Now Baker has not accomplished nearly as much as Cam. Cam was an MVP. Cam was a multiple-time Pro Bowl player. He had taken a team to a Super Bowl. So Baker's portfolio is not as vast as Cam’s was at the time. But I didn't see Cam going to a situation. Now he did go to a situation where he had to beat out Stidham. But in training camp, he did beat out Stidham."
.@ShannonSharpe on the Bucs GM not denying Baker Mayfield trade rumors:
"I don't see Baker going anywhere he doesn't have a chance of playing. He needs to go to a place where there's a young QB, put the job up and see who wins it. He has a zero chance in Tampa." https://t.co/7sDjO5xSzN
After comparing Baker Mayfield to Newton, Sharpe talked about what situation best fits the unsigned Mayfield. He thinks Mayfield wants to play where he has a chance to be the starting quarterback.
If Baker Mayfield joins the Buccaneers, Tom Brady's level of play will be too good for Mayfield to see snaps. Sharpe went as far as to say Mayfield wouldn't even get to play in garbage time.
"Skip, at least, Baker wants to go to a situation that’s very similar. Let me go to a situation. They have a young quarterback. Put the job up, and let’s see who wins it. Skip, he has zero chance. What is less than zero? If he goes to Tampa and beats Tom. You can’t envision a scenario where that's an ideal situation for Baker. Baker wants to play, and he's not going to play. He’s not even really going to get any mop-up duty."
Sharpe concluded his point by explaining why Mayfield wouldn't receive mop-up duty. He cites the Bucs' thoughts on current backups, Kyle Trask and Blaine Gabbert. Both players are highly spoken of by the coaching staff and the front office.
Ultimately, that is why Sharpe doesn't see any possibility of Mayfield playing in Tampa Bay. Sharpe said,
"Tom really takes it all the way to the end. He might let a Blaine Gabbert or Kyle Trask, whom they have a lot of confidence in. They were speaking glowingly about Kyle Trask at the combine. He might come in and take a kneel down. Or Brady goes up 35-3 or something like that late in the fourth quarter. But other than that, Brady takes all the reps. So I don't see a scenario, Skip, where this is an ideal spot for Baker Mayfield.”
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers remain a team to keep an eye on for Baker Mayfield
Despite Sharpe's beliefs, there's no doubt the Buccaneers are a team to watch for in the Baker Mayfield sweepstakes.
The rumors connecting the two began Wednesday, when general manager Jason Licht didn't shut down the idea of the 26-year-old signing on as Brady's backup.
"I don't want to talk about a player that's on another team's roster right now, but we may still add a veteran quarterback. We're going to have to see how it goes here."
@AdamSchein asked #Bucs GM Jason Licht about adding a veteran backup QB, specifically Baker Mayfield. https://t.co/rQaVZLVLjR
Licht's quotes this offseason have told a lot. Before Brady came out of retirement, Licht famously said the Bucs hadn't closed the door on welcoming him back with open arms.
Baker Mayfield is running out of NFL teams who need starting quarterbacks. Currently, the Carolina Panthers and Seattle Seahawks stand out as the two possible fits for him.
If he can't find a better job elsewhere, learning behind the greatest NFL player of all time isn't a bad consolation.