Baker Mayfield was officially introduced as the newest Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback on Monday and he made one thing clear when speaking for the first time as a member of the organization.
If it wasn’t already known, Mayfield is not Tom Brady.
The 27-year-old wanted to set the record straight, though, filling the void left by Brady — Mayfield’s predecessor in Tampa Bay. Following Brady’s retirement this offseason, Mayfield joined the Buccaneers on a one-year, $4 million agreement.
“Listen, I’m never going to be Tom Brady,” Mayfield told reporters, according to Myles Simmons of Pro Football Talk. “There’s a reason why he’s won so many Super Bowls. He’s the greatest of all time — there’s no doubt about that. I’m not going to try to be Tom. I’m going to be me. That’s what’s gotten me to this point. We’re going to do it differently.”
Mayfield split his fifth NFL season playing for the Carolina Panthers and Los Angeles Rams while losing eight of a combined 10 games he started for both teams.
He threw for 2,163 yards with a 60% completion percentage, totaling 10 touchdowns with eight interceptions. With last season ending in underwhelming fashion for Mayfield and the Rams, 2022 marked the second straight season he’s missed the NFL playoffs.
Now joining the Bucs, Mayfield will look to guide Tampa Bay following its wild card loss against the Dallas Cowboys with Brady as the signal-caller. Mayfield has played in just two playoff games, dating back to his time with the Cleveland Browns.
