17 March 2023 , 15:00
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Los Angeles Rams free agent quarterback Baker Mayfield will be replacing NFL great Tom Brady at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after reportedly agreeing to a one-year deal worth up to $8.5million (£7m).
Mayfield, 27, will fill in the gap left by seven-time Super Bowl champ Brady, 45, who retired for a second time earlier this year following a disappointing season. Mayfield is likely to have the stamp of approval by Brady, with the pair appearing to be good friends off the field. Brady has been seen in Mayfield’s Instagram comments, and the pair have had a number of playful back and forths online.
In 2021, Brady even came to Mayfield’s defence during a spat with Fox Sports Radio host Colin Cowherd. The Fox host was upset by the ex-Cleveland Browns quarterback’s claim of seeing a UFO in the offseason.
Cowherd fumed: “To that, I would say I prefer of all the qualities of franchise quarterbacks, I want to know your arm, are you good pre-snap? Are you mobile?
“The ability to see UFOs in the offseason is nowhere near my not top 10 qualifications — Joe Montana, Troy Aikman, Terry Bradshaw, Tom Brady have never seen aliens. I would prefer my guys don’t talk about it, but in fairness, Aaron Rodgers also admits he’s seen a UFO and he did win a Super Bowl.”
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“How do you know I’ve never seen aliens Colin?”, responded Brady. And Brady’s smart response amused Mayfield, who tweeted: “At your age you’ve probably seen a bunch.”
Baker Mayfield and Tom Brady have had a number of playful back and forths online (Getty)Brady also popped up on Mayfield’s social media when he was hosting a camp and was asked how many kids he could take on in a fight if they were to flip on him and attack. “Which age group? As a general thought, I say at least 50-plus,” Mayfield responded.
Brady weighed in, saying: “You’re selling yourself short. Gotta escape the pocket, reset, and take out 8-10 at a time.”
Mayfield had a tough 2022 season. He was traded by the Browns and joined the Carolina Panthers following the acquisition of Deshaun Watson - but failed to make an impact in the seven games he played.
Baker Mayfield was the No1 overall draft pick in 2018 after winning the Heisman Trophy at the University of Oklahoma (Getty)Mayfield attempted 206 passes with 119 completions for 1,313 yards, six touchdowns, and six interceptions. The Panthers then cut Mayfield per the players' request in early December.
The next day, Mayfield signed with the Rams. Mayfield completed 82 passes for 850 yards, four touchdowns, and two interceptions.
In 2018, Mayfield was the No1 overall draft pick after winning the Heisman Trophy at the University of Oklahoma. He has career totals of over 16,000 passing yards and 102 touchdowns in five NFL seasons.