Mayfield: Brady comments 'taken out of context'

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield says his controversial comments about Tom Brady weren't intended to insult the legendary signal-caller.

"I think a lot of that got taken out of context, and none of it was personal by any means," Mayfield said after the Bucs' 33-16 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday, according to ESPN's Jenna Laine. "It's just what he demanded of the guys, and that's the aura of Tom Brady. And that's what he did to bring a championship here."

Mayfield said this past week on a podcast appearance that the Buccaneers were a "little bit different" under Brady's leadership, noting that he thought "everybody was pretty stressed out."

"Obviously, playing-wise, Tom is different," Mayfield previously said of Brady's time in Tampa Bay. "He had everybody dialed in, high-strung environment, so I think everybody was pretty stressed out. They wanted me to come in, be myself, bring the joy back to football for guys who weren't having as much fun."

Mayfield's comments drew a passionate response from Brady, who served as Fox's color commentator for the Buccaneers' game against the Eagles.

"I thought stressful was not having Super Bowl rings," Brady said during the broadcast. "There was the mindset of a champion, and I took it to work every day. This wasn't daycare. If I was going to have fun, I was going to Disneyland with my kids."

Mayfield shrugged off Brady's comments after Sunday's game.

"He did it his own way and that's why he has seven rings," Mayfield added, per Laine. "So, not much else needs to be said."

Brady won his seventh and final Super Bowl in his first season in Tampa Bay at the conclusion of the 2020 campaign. He spent three seasons with the Bucs, compiling a 32-18 regular-season record and a 5-2 mark in the playoffs.

Mayfield, who succeeded Brady as the Buccaneers' quarterback following the latter's retirement, has revitalized his career since joining the NFC South club in 2023. He holds a 12-9 record as a starter, which includes a playoff appearance in his first year and a 3-1 start in 2024.