Retirement hasn’t made Tom Brady any less competitive.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion responded sternly to Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield during the broadcast of Sunday’s game between the Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles.
On Casa De Clube earlier this month, Mayfield described the environment in Tampa Bay under Brady — who played three seasons with the team before retiring after the 2022 season — as stressful.
“The building was a little different with Tom there. Obviously Tom is different in terms of playing. He called everyone in, a high-stress environment, so I think everyone was very nervous,” Mayfield said. “They wanted me to come in, be “I am myself, and I bring joy back to football for players who did not have much fun.”
Brady did not hold back in his response to Mayfield, pointing out his lack of championships and defending his mentality.
“I thought what was stressful was not having Super Bowl rings,” Brady said. “There was a hero mentality that I took to work every day. This wasn’t daycare. If I wanted to have fun, I would go to Disneyland with my kids.”
Brady then added: “There’s a way to approach this game. … There’s high expectations for us. We’ve got to make sure we go out there and get results.”
After a note from his broadcast partner Kevin Burkhart that the competition was still flowing, Brady said: “It’s still there. No apologies.”
However, Mayfield backed up his comments on Sunday. He completed 30 of 47 passes for 347 yards and two touchdowns in the 33-16 win. Mayfield also ran for another score.
The Buccaneers improved to 3-1 with the win and sit in first place in the NFC South.
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Mayfield is 12-9 as a starter in the regular season for Tampa Bay, with 36 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions. His only playoff win with the team (which came last season) is the same number Brady had in his last two seasons with the Bucs.
Mayfield warms up before the Buccaneers’ game against the Philadelphia Eagles at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida, on Sunday. Kevin Sabitos/Getty Images
