Baker Mayfield Says Bucs Are 'Perfect Opportunity' for Him After Tom Brady Retirement

Even before signing with the team, Baker Mayfield was excited about how a potential partnership with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers might unfold.

The MMQB's Albert Breer reported Monday how "Mayfield was as much in on recruiting the Buccaneers as Tampa Bay was in on recruiting him last month."

The veteran quarterback proceeded to explain why:

"I finally had some [time] to think, I think that's the key word. And, yeah, just looking at it from a big-picture standpoint, I want to play this game for a long time. So where's the next spot that's going to be the most stable position, where I can come in and compete, and do the best I can to showcase what I'm capable of? This is a great opportunity to do so. Normally when a spot like this opens up, it's because bad things have happened."

"But this one, it's just because Tom [Brady] retired. So it's a perfect opportunity for me."

Replacing a legend is never easy, though Brady is a somewhat special case because he was only on the Buccaneers for three seasons. Fans didn't grow attached to him in the same way the New England Patriots fanbase did over his 20-year run there.

It was a little different when Andrew Luck was the heir apparent to Peyton Manning for the Indianapolis Colts compared to when Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch took Manning's place on the Denver Broncos.

For Mayfield, the potential benefits to signing in Tampa Bay far exceeded the challenges presented by being the guy after Brady. Few teams could've provided him with a clearer path to a starting role—not only now, but also in 2024 and beyond.

Kyle Trask is the only other quarterback on the roster, and the extent of his NFL resume is going 3-of-9 for 23 yards in Week 18 against the Atlanta Falcons. Maybe the front office and coaching staff see a bright future ahead for the 2021 second-round pick, but he doesn't seem to have an unassailable lead in the battle to be the starter.

The Bucs could plausibly turn around and draft another quarterback this offseason. Kentucky's Will Levis was projected to land in Tampa Bay in Bleacher Report's newest mock draft.

Should that occur, Mayfield's outlook gets a lot more murky. For now, his optimism is more than understandable.