Tom Brady’s tenure with the Buccaneers did not overlap with that of current quarterback Baker Mayfield, but stories remain from the NFL legend’s three seasons in Tampa Bay.
During a recent appearance on the Casa De Klub podcast, Mayfield – who succeeded Brady in 2023 and led the Bucs to a surprising playoff run – was asked if he had heard any crazy stories about the future Hall of Famer and shared an interesting anecdote about play calling.
“You hear some stories about him not liking a particular play and not liking it all week and it still got called in the game, maybe it was an intentional miss or the ball was thrown at the feet of the running back or receiver,” Mayfield, 29, said on the show, which was reported by Joe Bucs Fan.
“There are a lot of mind games going on.”
Brady, now 47, joined the Buccaneers in March 2020 after playing 20 seasons in New England and winning six Super Bowls.
In his first season under head coach Bruce Arians and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich, the Buccaneers reached the Super Bowl, defeating the Chiefs.
The Buccaneers reached the playoffs two more times with Brady, his last run alongside new head coach Todd Bowles, who surprisingly replaced Arians in March 2022.
The coaching change sparked conspiracy theories, as the alleged relationship between Arians and Brady – who retired in February 2022 before changing course – was not all sunshine and roses in Florida, with reports of discord dating back to late 2020.
Joe Bucs Fan pointed out that there was “no specific information from Mayfield as to when” Brady’s alleged misses occurred.
Arians, who became the Buccaneers’ senior football consultant in 2022, served as offensive coordinator and head coach throughout his NFL career.
Elsewhere in the podcast, Mayfield noted that some players have been “stressed” in the past.
“With Tom, the building was a little different,” Mayfield said. “Obviously, Tom is different in terms of playing. He had everyone under pressure, it was a nervous atmosphere, so everyone was pretty stressed, I think.”
Brady, who ended his career in February 2023, is now beginning his rookie season as an NFL analyst for Fox.
Mayfield, selected first overall by the Browns in 2018, is in the first year of a three-year, $100 million contract with Tampa Bay.
The Buccaneers (2-0) have gotten off to a good start this season, taking revenge on the Lions in Week 2 of the playoffs after being eliminated in the divisional round in Detroit in January.
