Baker Mayfield says his comments about Tom Brady were ‘taken out of context’

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield said after his team’s 33-16 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday that he believes his comments about Tom Brady on a podcast were misinterpreted.

He said he meant no disrespect to the seven-time Super Bowl winner, who was called in for Sunday’s game for Fox Sports, his first trip back to Tampa as an analyst.

“I think a lot of it was taken out of context and none of it was personal in any way,” said Mayfield, who led four touchdown drives in the win. “That’s exactly what he asked the guys to do and that’s the aura of Tom Brady. And that’s what he did to bring a championship here.”

“Nothing personal, but yeah, when I talk before the game, he’s obviously happy for me and he knows the guys, so he knows how much I enjoy throwing to Mike (Evans) and Chris (Godwin), (because) him had to do the same.” . It’s fun to be able to talk to a man like that about the same experience.”

When Mayfield appeared on the Casa de Klub podcast with Corey Kluber and Tyler Casagrande a little over a week ago, he took a playful dig at Brady. Addressing the differences in their personalities, he said Brady’s intensity led to a stressed-out locker room.

“The building was a little different with Tom in it,” Mayfield said. “Obviously Tom is different in terms of play. He spoke to everyone, the atmosphere was tense, I think everyone was pretty stressed. … They wanted me to come in, be myself and bring back the joy of football, for guys who weren’t having as much fun.”

When discussing the situation on Sunday’s show, Brady said, “I thought it was stressful not having Super Bowl rings. So I had the attitude of a champion that I took to work every day. This wasn’t a daycare center. If I wanted to.” Have fun, I would take my kids to Disneyland.

“There’s a way to approach this game and that’s with the right mindset, to try to push each other out of our comfort zones, and great teammates do that. You come on, I’ve got someone like (Rob) Gronkowski, I’ve got someone like Evans – There are high expectations of us. We have to make sure we go out and deliver.”

Brady’s broadcast partner Kevin Burkhardt responded, “The competitive juices are still flowing,” and Brady responded, “Still there.” No excuse.”

Mayfield laughed when he heard Brady’s “daycare” comment after the game.

“Like I said – some things were taken out of context,” Mayfield said. “He did it his own way and that’s why he has seven rings. So there’s nothing more to say.”

Brady also revealed on the show that the Chicago Bears were “very discreet in recruiting” and that he “seriously considered” signing with them before choosing the Bucs as a free agent in 2020.

Brady’s return to Tampa included being thrust into the spotlight in the Jumbotron booth, where he was greeted with a standing ovation two minutes before halftime. Brady smiled and waved as his well-known strike song “PSA” by Jay-Z played over the speakers.

“It’s amazing,” said Evans, who also became the franchise’s all-time leading scorer on Sunday with a touchdown in the first quarter. “I guess he gave us some luck today. The last time we played with him against the Eagles was a playoff game that we won (2021 Wild Card Round), so I guess it just brought back good memories and everyone had that feeling too.” .”