Baker Mayfield says Tom Brady created 'high-strung environment,' among other claims

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield offered some interesting quotes about Tom Brady’s tenure with the team, suggesting that the franchise needed a bit of a culture change after Brady’s departure.

In a recent appearance on former MLB pitcher Corey Kluber’s “Casa De Klub” podcast (h/t USA Today), Mayfield said Brady had created a “high-strung environment” during his final year with the Buccaneers, and Mayfield had to create something of a culture shift as Brady’s successor.

“The building was a little bit different with Tom in there,” Mayfield said (roughly 3:35 into the podcast). “Obviously, playing-wise, Tom is different. He had everybody dialed in, high-strung environment, so I think everybody was pretty stressed out. For me … they wanted me to come in, be myself, bring the joy back to football a little bit for guys that weren’t having as much fun, and just continue to raise the competition level.”

Mayfield admitted he and Brady have “very different personalities” and hinted at further tension during Brady’s tenure. When asked about the funniest Brady story he’d heard, Mayfield discussed what he called the “mind games” Brady played within the organization.

“You hear some of the stories about if he didn’t like a certain play call and he didn’t like it throughout the week and they still called it in the game, there might have been a throwaway on purpose or throwing it at the running back or receiver’s feet. There’s a lot of mind games going on,” Mayfield said (47:20 mark).

Mayfield makes it clear that Brady’s methods worked for him and brought success, and was not necessarily trying to be critical of Brady. The picture he paints, however, is one of an organization that was eager to embrace Mayfield’s more relaxed personality after two years of Brady. There were more than a few reports of Brady having some friction with coaches over the direction of the offense. While Brady has denied them, Mayfield’s comments certainly reflect those claims.

Whatever the case, Mayfield has revived his career with the Buccaneers, and the organization has also benefitted from his presence. He took them to the playoffs last year against all expectations and has the team off to a 2-0 start in 2024.