Tom Brady didn’t hold back when firing back at Baker Mayfield, the quarterback who took over his spot at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, after Mayfield made some pointed accusations about the atmosphere Brady fostered during his time with the team.
Mayfield, now in his second season with the Bucs, recently criticized the environment Brady left behind, claiming it was “high-strung” and that players were stressed out under Brady’s leadership.
Mayfield’s comments came during an appearance on the Casa De Klub podcast, where he described how the Tampa Bay locker room was much different when Brady was at the helm. “The building was a little bit different with Tom in there,” Mayfield said. “He had everybody dialed in, high-strung environment, so I think everybody was pretty stressed out.”
According to Mayfield, his role in the team was to bring the fun back to football, helping players relax in what he saw as a more laid-back atmosphere. He even mentioned that Brady would play “mind games” with the coaching staff, sometimes throwing a pass away on purpose if he disagreed with a play call.
Tom Brady just cooked Baker harder than he used to cook the AFC East
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) September 29, 2024
However, Brady, now an NFL analyst for Fox Sports, didn’t let these comments slide. While calling the Bucs’ game against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, the seven-time Super Bowl champion took a sharp jab at Mayfield’s remarks, saying, “I thought stressful was not having Super Bowl rings.” Brady emphasized that his highly competitive approach wasn’t about creating stress but rather building a championship mindset. “This wasn’t daycare,” Brady quipped, adding, “If I wanted to have fun, I was going to go to Disneyland with my kids.”
Brady made it clear that his intensity was all part of fostering a winning culture. “There’s high expectations for us,” he said, stressing the importance of pushing teammates outside their comfort zones to achieve success. His leadership style, though demanding, led the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl victory in his very first season with the team in 2020.
Mayfield, in contrast, took over the Bucs in 2023 following Brady’s retirement and led the team to a respectable 9-8 record. They even clinched a playoff spot, defeating the Eagles in the wild-card round before falling to the Detroit Lions in the divisional round.
However, Mayfield’s approach to leadership—and his description of Brady’s tenure—certainly paints a stark contrast between the two quarterbacks’ styles. While Brady thrived in a high-pressure, no-nonsense environment, Mayfield sees himself as bringing a more relaxed energy to the team, something he believes players have appreciated.
