Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive finish William Gholston spoke throughout an look on Fox Sports activities Radio about how quarterback Baker Mayfield shortly turned a favorite amongst teammates shortly after Mayfield signed a one-year “show it” contract with the group early final offseason.
“For me, I can say that I like a man who I do know will knuckle up when it’s time to knuckle up, and he’s not going to shrink back from that,” Gholston stated about Mayfield, based on the JoeBucsFan web site. “So it’s straightforward to observe a man like that.”
Gholston then was requested what it was prefer to have residing legend Tom Brady as a teammate from 2020 by way of the 2022 season.
“He was, man, considerably in the identical [as Mayfield], I’d say,” Gholston responded. “I’d knuckle up with Brady, too.”
Mayfield and others contained in the Tampa Bay locker room shortly embraced an “us in opposition to the world” mentality final summer season as analysts and reporters all through the NFL neighborhood predicted that the Buccaneers would end this season close to the basement of the general league standings following Brady’s retirement.
The primary decide of the 2018 draft then guided Tampa Bay to a division title and a house playoff win, and Buccaneers huge receiver Chris Godwin noted final month that Mayfield had the membership “enjoying free” following Brady’s departure.
“He’s one of many coolest guys I’ve ever met,” Gholston stated about Mayfield. “Actual right down to earth. Actual real man. Tremendous aggressive. Like, I’ll stroll by way of a darkish alley with that man.”
Head coach Todd Bowles beforehand explained how the Buccaneers let “Baker be Baker,” and the membership has since employed Liam Coen as its new offensive coordinator seemingly with Mayfield in thoughts.
Mayfield performed underneath Coen with the Los Angeles Rams late within the 2022 season, and the 28-year-old admitted earlier within the week that the Buccaneers have “the higher hand” because it pertains to getting his signature on a contract earlier than he reaches free company in March.
In fact, Tampa Bay basic supervisor Jason Licht can at all times retain Mayfield’s rights by way of the franchise tag value roughly $35M for 2024. Nonetheless, Mayfield has indicated he realizes inking a team-friendly deal earlier than the March 5 deadline for golf equipment to make use of their tags may in the end profit him in the long term and past only a single payday.