Tom Brady’s intensity on the field is legendary, but it’s something his teammates cannot handle every time. Now playing for the Buccaneers after a storied Patriots career, Brady continues to demand the best from everyone around him, sometimes rubbing players the wrong way. Following the Bucs’ recent comeback win over the Rams, Brady openly called out his team’s “embarrassing” effort, saying they “better fix” their game-day performance before Thanksgiving. It’s just the latest instance of Brady pushing his team hard—a quality that’s both admired and sometimes, well, annoying.

Ex-Patriots star Rob Ninkovich knows firsthand how Brady can get after his teammates, recalling moments when the quarterback’s fiery leadership felt a little much. The discussion started at The Quick Snap Podcast where Ninkovich shared a story of Brady walking up to the kickoff team during a crucial game moment, giving them the kind of pep talk that left everyone a bit taken aback.

“He’d walk up to anybody and tell them, ‘Let’s go!’ like, what are we doing?” Ninkovich said. The moment was so intense that Ninkovich joked he wanted to tell Brady, “Tom, why don’t you run down on R3?” imagining Brady attempting a special-teams tackle.

The team wasn’t exactly immune to Brady’s passion, but they knew he wasn’t about to take the hits himself. “As soon as he walked away, everybody was like…go back over there,” Ninkovich laughed. It’s the kind of relentless drive that has brought Brady seven Super Bowl rings, but it’s clear it left some teammates scratching their heads, wishing Brady would step back from his relentless sideline huddles.

Brady’s leadership style may be borderline “annoying,” but his competitiveness has kept Tampa Bay fighting to stay relevant this season. As the Bucs head to Germany for a game against the Seahawks, Brady’s relentless passion remains a double-edged sword—pushing his team to strive for greatness, whether they like it or not.

Now as the Bucs and Pats legend made a level situation at the teams he played, present QB Baker Mayfield commented on the situation. He believed Brady made immense expectations in the team and that Mayfield himself is now stressed.

Brady’s ‘Daycare’ clapback: Mayfield says Bucs are having more fun, but Tom fires back

Baker Mayfield recently shared how different the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ vibe has been since he took over for Tom Brady. On the Casa De Klub podcast, Mayfield noted, “The building was a little bit different with Tom in there,” calling the Brady era a “high-strung environment” that, he felt, had players “pretty stressed out.” Mayfield explained he aimed to bring “the joy back to football for some of the guys that weren’t having as much fun.” Coming in with a relaxed approach, Mayfield just wanted to be himself, knowing he didn’t need to fill Brady’s legendary shoes.

However, Mayfield’s remarks sparked a bit of a stir, leading him to clarify that he was trying to compliment Brady’s intense dedication. “None of it was personal,” he told ESPN’s Jenna Laine, explaining that he respects what Brady accomplished. “That’s the aura of Tom Brady…what he did to bring a championship here,” Mayfield added, emphasizing that Brady’s high standards were part of what made him a winner.

Brady didn’t hold back with his response either. When asked about Mayfield’s comments, Brady fired back, “I thought stressful was not having Super Bowl rings. This wasn’t daycare. If I wanted to have fun, I’d go to Disneyland with my kids.” For Brady, his “mindset of a champion” was what he brought to the field every day, and he expected his teammates to match that. Both quarterbacks bring different approaches to the game, but for Mayfield, the change of pace seems to be working so far.

How do you see Brady’s relentless pursuit and pressure-heavy approach? And can Mayfield replicate the same? Tell us in the comment section below!