Once superstar quarterback Tom Brady decided to call it a career in the NFL and leave the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ahead of the 2023 NFL regular season, the team was put in a difficult situation to replace arguably the greatest player in league history, which is obviously no easy task.
It seemed that no matter who the team brought in, he wouldn’t live up to expectations or get anywhere close to filling Brady’s shoes, but so far, the successor to the seven-time Super Bowl champion has done much better than expected.
The Buccaneers chose to bring in former No. 1 overall pick Baker Mayfield to fill the void under center in Tampa Bay, and even though it seemed like a questionable move, it now seems like the right one.
Mayfield was able to lead the team to a division title, resulting in a playoff berth, and then took down the reigning NFC champion Philadelphia Eagles in convincing fashion in the first round of the postseason.
Even though Mayfield has taken his fair share of criticism over the years, he has shined when the lights are the brightest, which is always a great sign of a born leader under center.
Sunday Night Football on NBC on Twitter highlighted his success in the Wild Card round during his career so far.
Baker Mayfield shows up when it matters most. 😤 pic.twitter.com/XD0SNiLJ3b
— Sunday Night Football on NBC (@SNFonNBC) January 17, 2024
With the win over the Eagles in the books, Mayfield will now hit the road with his Buccaneers to take on the Detroit Lions at Ford Field.
The Buccaneers will head into the second round of the playoffs in the same way they did in the first round, with the team labeled as the underdogs.
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