Baker Mayfield arrived at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with a lot to prove.
And to make matters worse, he was taking the place of Tom Brady.
GettyMayfield has thrived in Tampa after playing for the Browns, Rams, and Panthers[/caption]
The GOAT won his seventh and final Super Bowl ring in Tampa Bay and was always going to cast a long shadow over his successor.
That made picking the right player – and man – essential.
Two years in, it looks like the Bucs’ front office nailed it with Mayfield – a former No. 1 pick who was treated harshly by the Cleveland Browns.
Former NFL star Jason Bell spoke to talkSPORT ahead of Sunday’s clash with the 2-10 Raiders and picked out the qualities that make the 29-year-old the right fit.
“I love watching him, he’s just so aggressive and you see the passion,” he said.
“When he got there coming off after Tom Brady, the way that locker room accepted him said a lot about him as a leader and as a player and a guy who goes out there and prepares and performs on the field.”
The Bucs are 6-6 and have a real chance of finishing top of a wide-open NFC South with Mayfield on course to surpass his 4,000-yard, 28-touchdown 2023 season.
And Bell thinks they could prove to be a nightmare opponent if they make the postseason.
“I love the way they can run the ball now. They have that physical running game, that presence,” he added.
“But Baker Mayfield, you always have a chance with him because he is going to take shots down the field. He’s aggressive, he’s an aggressive thrower.
GettyBrady is a tough act to follow after bringing the Vince Lombardi Trophy to Florida[/caption]
“That’s key, especially when it comes down to tight games in the fourth quarter. You can’t have somebody that’s scared.
“We know there’s a struggle in the NFC South. And this is a team that is exciting. Imagine them if they do make it to the playoffs. That’s an exciting watch.
“They can beat anybody on any day. So with Baker, you always got a chance and he showed the rest of the league that you can rehabilitate a quarterback.
“It’s not necessarily about him as far as his skills are concerned, but it’s the situation.”
The Bucs lost to the Detroit Lions in the divisional round in January and would face significant odds to mount a long postseason run.
But in Mike Evans, they have one of the NFL’s elite weapons, who needs 479 yards to reach 11 straight 1,000-yard seasons.
“Mike Evans is a Hall of Famer. And I think anybody that talks about him or knows his game knows how good he is,” said Bell.
“He’s not as loud as other receivers, which is a reason why you go out there and you be very vocal, because you get more attention. But as a player, he can just take over a game.
“You know what he’s gonna do every time. He throws it up, he still takes advantage of you.
“You watch him at any moment, you’re just like, ‘Mike Evans, Mike Evans, stop him.’ And nope, there he goes.
“In the football community, he has tons of respect. I think on a national stage, if you’re not the loudest person in the room, sometimes people aren’t talking about you.”
Whatever happens this season, Mayfield is continuing the redemption arc he began with a brief stint under Sean McVay at the Los Angeles Rams in 2022.
With their Deshaun Watson trade looking worse by the day, there may be a few envious glances coming from inside the Browns.
Their loss is Florida’s gain.
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