Baker Mayfield Praises Bucs’ Underrated Stars

When he signed a one-year deal with the Bucs last offseason, Baker Mayfield quickly became a beloved teammate for so many in the Tampa Bay locker room. It was easy to see, as the young journeyman quarterback often let his actions speak for themselves.

Early on in the team’s offseason program, it became clear that Mayfield was positioning himself as a team leader and a teammate that everyone — not just the guys on offense — could look to. During the stretching and calisthenics portion of practices, Mayfield didn’t stick with the offense. He went through warmups right in the middle of Tampa Bay’s big defensive linemen, including Vita Vea. That’s a pre-practice ritual that Mayfield has kept with to this day.

And all of that started while Baker Mayfield was still entrenched in a quarterback competition with Kyle Trask. He approached it as a good leader and teammate, so when he won the job and took the reins as Tom Brady’s successor, the Bucs had no problem seeing him as “the guy.” He was later voted as a team captain.

As much as his actions have helped him fit right in with the family-like culture in the Bucs organization, Mayfield also hasn’t been shy with his words. He is always lifting up his teammates and giving them some shine when he’s in the spotlight as their quarterback. That happened again during an appearance on Monday’s Pardon My Take.

While discussing the team’s turnaround late in the 2023 season, Mayfield mentioned that the Bucs were able to embrace a simpler approach in large part because of the quality of guys they have on their roster, namely his top two receivers.

“We finally turned it around,” Mayfield said. “It was like, ‘simple is better,’ especially with the guys we have in Tampa. Like, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin… studs.”

That prompted a discussion on Evans and the fact that even after ten years, he’s still overlooked nationally. In ten seasons, Evans has 762 catches for 11,680 yards and 94 touchdowns. He ranks 33rd all-time in receiving yards while sitting just outside the top 10 in receiving touchdowns.

“If he has an average year stats-wise (in 2024), for his records, he’ll still be top-10 in touchdowns, he’s up there in yards,” Mayfield added. “I mean, he’s had ten seasons in a row of 1,000 yards. I know he’s had some good quarterbacks, but also he’s had a bunch of different ones. He is the consistent one. He doesn’t get that recognition.”

Mayfield is right.

Evans needs just six touchdowns in 2024 to tie himself for the ninth-most in NFL history. Obviously, seven touchdowns would put him in ninth place alone. As much recognition as other receivers across the league get, Evans deserves to be recognized as a future Hall of Famer.

There’s another underrated longtime Buccaneer with a Hall of Fame Case, and naturally, Mayfield also praised him during his interview on Pardon My Take.

“I’d be remiss to [not] say Lavonte David as well. Another one of those guys in Tampa that gets no recognition. The dude is a Hall of Famer. He’s unbelievable.”

David has been perennially underrated for over a decade and has fallen victim to a lack of recognition that has kept him from racking up the All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors he has long deserved.

But anyone who watches the veteran linebacker play knows how good he is, and in addition to finally winning a Super Bowl ring, he’s played at a consistent enough level and racked up the numbers to have people — including Baker Mayfield — go to bat for him in Hall of Fame conversations.

Just As Tampa Has Embraced Him, Baker Mayfield Is Embracing Tampa

In the 16 months since he signed with the Bucs, Baker Mayfield has certainly been embraced by his teammates as well as the city of Tampa and its fans. He credited that as being part of his success as recently as last week.

But as easy as it’s been for the Bucs and their fans to naturally embrace Mayfield as the team’s franchise quarterback, there’s no doubt that the 29-year-old has reciprocated the love he’s received during his time in Tampa.

He has often said how much he loves the Tampa area and the Bucs organization. And after bouncing around between three teams in 2022, having a new three-year, $100 million deal with the Bucs gives him a place he can truly call home.

So much so that Mayfield said on Monday’s Pardon My Take that he and his wife, Emily, love it so much that they’re trying to sell their Texas home and become “full-time Floridians.”

“As a proud Texan, that’s wild to say,” Mayfield said.

He later recounted his journey from the Browns to the Panthers to the Rams and finally, to the Bucs.

“Going to Tampa last year and just trying to meet everybody and get that chemistry going… It’s a great spot,” Mayfield added. “I understand why people wanna be there.”

Watch The Full Pardon My Take Interview With Bucs QB Baker Mayfield

The full interview with Barstool Sports’ Big Cat and PFT Commenter covered Baker Mayfield’s time with the Browns, the whirlwind he went through when going from Carolina to leading a comeback for Los Angeles two days later, seeing a UFO, being a new father, head coach Todd Bowles’ demeanor, his friendship with ESPN’s Adam Schefter and more.