The Tampa Bay Buccaneers secured their starting quarterback for the next few years after Baker Mayfield shined on a one-year contract with the franchise. He was the successor to Tom Brady after he retired, and it was a bit of a flyer signing. No one knew how the quarterback would perform in the situation.
Last season, Mayfield threw for 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns and ten interceptions, leading to him being resigned for a three-year, $100 million contract with the Buccaneers.
Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht was complimentary of not only how impactful Mayfield was on the field for the team, but how his leadership and personality helped build a culture during his first year with the team.
"We always knew that he was a super-competitive player, super-competitive person," Licht responded when asked what he learned about Mayfield, according to JoeBucsFan. "He has that moxie to him. That's what made us —those that liked him coming out [in the 2018 NFL Draft] — love him. I guess it was the extreme leadership that he showed. He took over the team right away. He was part of the straw that stirred the drink this year. With his leadership and toughness, it was our identity [in 2023]."
During his time at Oklahoma, Mayfield had the entire fanbase rallied behind him and was either extremely loved or hated in the college football world because of his antics. He helped turn the Cleveland Browns franchise around, ending the playoff drought before the team eventually gave up on him.
It's no surprise Mayfield's leadership was embraced and it helped create a culture in the franchise's first year without Brady. For his on-field production to match his leadership, the Buccaneers have a distinct direction moving forward, especially with his top target in Mike Evans returning.
The Buccaneers will be the team to watch in the NFC South as they'll be competing to win the division once again.
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