On the 11th episode of the “Casa de Klub” podcast that aired a couple of weeks ago, the Buccaneers quarterback described the team environment, alluding to the changes in the locker room after Brady left the team to retire in 2022.
“The building was a little bit different with Tom in there. Obviously, playing-wise, Tom is different. He had everybody dialed in, high-strung environment, so I think everybody was pretty stressed out,” Mayfield said. “They wanted me to come in, be myself, bring the joy back to football for guys who weren’t having as much fun.”
Brady took exception to Mayfield’s assessment, defending his mindset and criticizing the Buccaneers star for his lack of championships. The seven-time Super Bowl champion was live at the commentary booth for Sunday’s game between the Buccaneers and the Philadelphia Eagles, and he did not hold back on his words for Mayfield.
“I thought ‘stressful’ was not having Super Bowl rings,” Brady said. “There was a mindset of a champion that I took to work every day. This wasn’t day care. If I wanted to have fun, I was gonna go to Disneyland with my kids.”
Brady also added, “There’s a way to approach this game. … There’s high expectations for us. We have to make sure we go out there and deliver.”
Ryan Fitzpatrick chimed in on X, responding to Brady’s comment on Mayfield.
“Sick burn, Tom Brady. Way to cut Baker Mayfield down to size. Can’t believe he has had the nerve to win over the Bucs locker room and fans with his playing style and personality,” Fitzpatrick said.
After the Buccaneers-Eagles game, Mayfield defended himself, saying Brady, who played for the Buccaneers for three seasons before retiring, took his comments out of context. Regardless, Tom Brady named Mayfield his LFG Player of the Game that day.
Ryan Fitzpatrick says Tua Tagovailoa should consider retirement
After Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered another concussion in the third quarter of their game against the Buffalo Bills, his former teammate Ryan Fitzpatrick agreed that he should consider retiring. The concussion knocked Tagovailoa out of the game that saw the Bills walk out with a 31-10 victory.
Fitzpatrick said it was sad to see the incident after everything good that happened to Tagovailoa leading into the 2024 season, especially his massive contract.
“If I’m him, I’m seriously considering retiring from football. If that was my son, it might be time,” Fitzpatrick said. “I’m not a doctor, but (a concussion) is when your brain is really shutting off. It’s happened a couple of times.”
He later said, however, that retirement is a decision that shouldn’t be made too lightly. “Hit pause, give it some time. See how we’re feeling,” he said. “He’s such a delightful human being. He has two little babies at home. That brings a different element into it,” he added.
Ryan Fitzpatrick teamed with Tagovailoa in Miami during the 2020 season.
