Baker Mayfield Took Buccaneers Offensive Line to Bahamas

The former Heisman winner and No. 1 overall pick's leadership has been huge in the Buccaneer's early success this season.

Kade Kimble | Oct 5, 2023

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Tampa Bay Buccaneers

When Tom Brady retired following the 2022 NFL season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were forced to turn to another avenue to secure a starting quarterback and they had little resources to do so. This led to the signing of Baker Mayfield.

The former No. 1 pick and Heisman winner was turned into a journeyman for no real reason, other than trying to play through an injury for the betterment of his team before being replaced by Deshaun Watson.

One thing is true about Mayfield, no matter what the play looks like on the field, he's going to be a good leader to his team. This was true in his college days and in the early days of his NFL career.

Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht explained the same thing about Mayfield during his appearance The Season with Peter Schrager.

“Baker is a DUDE and the players saw it right away. He took the OL to the Bahamas during camp after final cuts to golf," Licht said on the show. "He’s spotted around town at dive bars with receivers, with Mike Evans, with [Chris] Godwin. He’s that guy. He’s the man. And it’s not fake.”

This is one of the many reasons Mayfield and the Buccaneers have gotten off to a 3-1 start this season, something not many fans would have expected ahead of things getting started.

Having weapons like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, two players that would be WR1 on many different teams, made for a good opportunity to show Mayfield that he has plenty of skill and when in a good position, he's able to lead a winning team.

It helps that the Buccaneers' offensive line has been one of the best in the league when it comes to pass protection, and it's helped limit turnovers from Mayfield. Overall, a blend of leadership and talent has led to Mayfield and the Buccaneers being a surprise team this season.

Stick with BucsGameday and the Locked On Bucs podcast for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2023 season.

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Published Oct 5, 2023

KADE KIMBLE

Kade has been covering a wide variety of teams ranging from the NFL to the NBA and college athletics since joining Sports Illustrated's FanNation in 2022.