The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a big void to fill after the retirement of Tom Brady. And the franchise has put their trust in Baker Mayfield to navigate them through the transition. But their celebration of the TB12 replacement hasn’t gone particularly well with the fans. And all this is happening amid a big $8.5 million issue.
Mayfield will still have to prove himself in the fourth team of his career. But while some fans are willing to give the new QB a chance, there are others who have already made up their minds.
The Buccaneers celebrate Baker Mayfield’s arrival
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With Tom Brady leaving the Buccaneers, the team was left with some big shoes to fill. After much speculation, the franchise finally confirmed that it would be Baker Mayfield stepping up to take on the role of the team’s starting quarterback. It’s a daunting task for any player, let alone one who is following in the footsteps of the most successful QB in NFL history.
However, the Buccaneers are looking to the future and are determined to celebrate this new chapter in their history. They recently shared some photos of Baker Mayfield signing documents and officially joining the team.
“In the building,” the Bucs wrote in a tweet with the photos.
He also spoke to the media and said it is important for him to be in a place that is stable and knows how to win.
"I wanted to go somewhere where we could win right away, and this is that place."
🗣️: @bakermayfield pic.twitter.com/70cvgUxa2x
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) March 20, 2023
But many fans are irked by the signing. They don’t believe that the ex-Cleveland Browns QB is up to the task to replace the seven-time Super Bowl champion. Some, on the other hand, want to give Mayfield a chance.
Read More: Hours Before Baker Mayfield Update, Bucs New OC Already Found “Point Guard” for Tom Brady’s Chair
This fan knows the pressure on anyone coming to replace Brady on the team.
Would hate to be the guy that comes in after Tom Brady lol
— Immortal Money Denny Dunes 🏴☠️ (@Dunesyy) March 20, 2023
Another fan is very optimistic about Mayfield’s stint in Tampa Bay.
The man who win more rings than Brady in Tampa💯💯
— Baker Mayfield LOVER (@LoverMayfield6) March 20, 2023
This fan can’t believe that the Buccaneers have turned to Mayfield after having Brady.
They went from brady to this…
— skeee (@supremegleams) March 20, 2023
Another fan just wishes for people to leave the new QB to do his thing when the time comes.
Let this man bake 😤 #GoBucs
— Joeygbruh (@joe_gaydos) March 20, 2023
This fan feels that Mayfield has all the talent to help him succeed.
You have all the talent to be successful! Just all about stacking blocks this offseason!
— Cory Lowe (@CoryLowe007) March 20, 2023
For this fan, the team achieved what it did because of Brady’s fourth-quarter comebacks.
"knows how to win" without Brady's 4th quarter comebacks this team won 4 games last season…
— CaptainBrady (@cptsorabrady) March 20, 2023
Can Mayfield really replace TB12? Looking at his contract, it’s easy to think that even the Buccaneers don’t believe so.
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Bucs’ $8.5 Million Deal Puts Pressure on QB to Prove Himself
Baker Mayfield hasn’t got the contract that he would have liked from the Buccaneers. They have actually given him a season-long deal worth just $8.5 million. It is not a deal for the future, it is for the here and now. Mayfield will have to prove himself before getting a long-term deal.
The Buccaneers’ Tom Brady replacement has struggled mostly wherever he’s gone. The Browns picked him number one overall in the 2018 draft. But after a few average seasons, he went to the Carolina Panthers where he didn’t even last half a season.
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The Los Angeles Rams took him in the middle of the 2022 season, but he couldn’t nail it down. Hopefully, Tampa is a little different from all the other places Mayfield has been to.
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