Seven-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady is one of the NFL’s all-time greats.
But his playing was not without its controversy.
And Tom Brady was blindsided when this NFL quarterback spilled the beans on his dirty laundry.
Tom Brady’s demanding style ruffled some feathers
Legendary quarterback Tom Brady left the New England Patriots in free agency after the 2019 NFL season for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Brady spent the final three seasons of his career in Tampa and won his seventh Super Bowl ring quarterbacking the team.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield took over for Brady after he retired with the Buccaneers during the 2023 NFL season.
Mayfield, a former number one overall NFL draft pick with the Cleveland Browns, revived his career in Tampa.
Replacing the greatest quarterback in NFL history came with its challenges.
Brady was one of the game’s legendary competitors.
Mayfield revealed that Brady’s competitive demanding style took its toll on his teammates with the Buccaneers at times during an appearance on the Case De Klub podcast.
“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 call it in the game, there might have been a throwaway on purpose or throwing it at the running back or receiver’s feet,” Mayfield said. “There’s a lot of mind games going on.”
Brady’s personality was not for everyone
Brady played for 20 seasons in New England under coach Bill Belichick where the duo had an unmatched attention to detail.
Mayfield said that the Buccaneers organization was “stressed out” dealing with the future Hall of Fame quarterback.
“The building was a little bit different with Tom in there,” Mayfield explained. “Obviously, playing-wise, Tom is different. He had everybody dialed in, high-strung environment, so I think everybody was pretty stressed out.”
Brady was the ultimate competitor who demanded excellence of himself and his teammates.
That drive helped the Buccaneers win their second Super Bowl in franchise history during the 2020 season.
Mayfield said that the atmosphere in the locker room changed when he came to replace Brady in the 2023 season.
“They wanted me to come in, be myself, bring the joy back to football for guys who weren’t having as much fun,” Mayfield said.
The former Heisman Trophy winner said that he realized he could not fill Brady’s shoes, so he had to do things his way.
Mayfield admitted that he and Brady have “very different personalities.”
He managed to do an admirable job replacing Brady and reviving his career as the Buccaneers quarterback.
Mayfield led the team to an NFC South title and a victory in the Wildcard Round of the NFL playoffs.
“[Mayfield’s] a guy that wants to win, and he had something to prove,” linebacker Devin White said that season. “I think that’s the mentality of this team. Coming into this season, nobody believed in us.”
Tom Brady demanded a lot of himself and his teammates, but that drive helped turn him into a seven-time Super Bowl champion.
DeSantis Daily will keep you up-to-date on any new developments in this ongoing story.
