Tom Brady fires back at Baker Mayfield after comments that ex-QB ‘stressed’ Bucs out: ‘This wasn’t day care’

Tom Brady and Baker Mayfield had a friendly embrace on the field prior to Sunday’s game between the Buccaneers and Eagles. Brady, though, was clearly fired up by Mayfield’s recent comments that the seven-time Super Bowl champion “stressed out” his teammates during his time with the Buccaneers, and he decided to publicly address Mayfield’s comments. 

“I thought stressful was not having Super Bowl rings,” Brady said, via the Tampa Bay Times. “This wasn’t day care…If I was going to have fun, I was going to Disneyland with my kids. There’s a way to approach this game and it’s with the right mindset to push teammates.”

Brady acknowledged that Mayfield’s comments fired him up. 

“It’s still in there,” he said. “There’s no apologies!” 

There’s no denying that Brady was a fierce competitor; that’s part of his legacy that also includes being the winningest player in the history of the sport. And while his style probably wasn’t for everyone, it’s hard to argue with the results, including in Tampa, as Brady helped a team that went 7-9 in 2019 win it all during his first year in town in 2020. 

Brady is the NFL’s version of Michael Jordan, another legendary competitor who parlayed his peerless drive into six NBA titles over an eight-year span. Jordan, like Brady, traded cozy environments for ones that helped produce titles, feelings be dammed. 

Brady’s approach led to a ton of success, for both himself and his teams. But Mayfield was probably a breath of fresh air when he succeeded Brady in 2023. Mayfield led Tampa to a surprising division title last season and has helped the Buccaneers get off to a 2-1 start this season.