Tom Brady fired back at Baker Mayfield's comments regarding his leadership style with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday.
"I thought stressful was not having Super Bowl rings,'' Brady said. "This wasn't daycare...If I was going to have fun, I was going to Disneyland with my kids."
Mayfield, Tampa Bay's current starting signal-caller, said that he thought "everybody was pretty stressed out" throughout Brady's tenure with the team during a Sept. 16 appearance on the Casa De Klub podcast with ex-MLB pitcher Corey Kluber.
Mayfield also said that he wanted to "bring the joy back to football for some of the guys that weren't having as much fun" when he took over at quarterback for the Buccaneers in 2023.
After Brady's legendary 20-year run with the New England Patriots, he joined Tampa Bay ahead of the 2020 season and spent the final three years of his career with the team.
He finished with a record of 32-18 as a starter with the Buccaneers, completing 66.7 percent of his throws for 14,643 yards and 108 touchdowns compared to 33 interceptions. He led Tampa Bay to the playoffs in each year with the team, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl 55.
Brady's tough leadership style is well-known, but his success is undeniable.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion has given insight on his mindset as a broadcaster with Fox. When calling the Dallas Cowboys' 44-19 loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 2, wide receiver Jalen Brooks slipped on a route that resulted in an interception for Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott.
When asked if he would continue to look Brooks' way if he were under center, Brady gave his thoughts.
"Not today," Brady said (h/t Brad Crawford of 247Sports). "It's actually pretty tough to go back there. Because you know where he's at, you're saying, I'm going to him, I just can't count on him that he's going to stay on his feet."
While different, Mayfield's approach appears to be paying off as well. He led the Buccaneers to a surprise appearance in the divisional round of the playoffs last season and has helped Tampa Bay start its 2024 campaign with a 2-1 record.
