Three years into his Tampa Bay Buccaneers tenure, Baker Mayfield has not only revived his own career but also given the franchise something it lacked since the Tom Brady era.
Through the first six weeks of the 2025 season, Mayfield has been electric. The former top pick has completed over 70 percent of his passes, throwing for 1,539 yards, 12 touchdowns, and just one interception.
More importantly, he’s led multiple late-game drives that have pushed Tampa to a 5-1 record, restoring the kind of grit and confidence that defined their championship days.
Mayfield‘s resurgence has sparked an interesting debate across NFL circles one that even Colin Cowherd and Julian Edelman tackled on The Herd. Both men believe that, in his own fiery way, Mayfield is giving off shades of Tom Brady.
“You hear these stories about Brady and Brady was LFG,” Cowherd said.
“The difference is, I think Brady had some Baker Mayfield in him, but Tom was very measured when he’d go on radio or the podium. I just think Tom hid it. He had chutzpah, he had attitude. When I watch Baker, I think there are guys that just have it. I just think Baker‘s not afraid to say it at the podium.”
Edelman says Mayfield’s attitude works because he delivers when it counts
No one knows Brady‘s intensity better than Julian Edelman, who caught passes from him for more than a decade in New England. On Cowherd’s show, Edelman explained that Mayfield‘s personality resonates because he’s backing it up with production, something that instantly earns a locker room’s trust.
“Yeah, I love his personality because he’s a dog… But the reason why it’s working right now is because he’s performing. When you can go out and show that you can make plays in high-pressure situations, it makes everyone on the team believe,” Edelman said.
The former Patriots receiver went on to describe what true leadership feels like inside a winning team.
“I played on a team where we thought we could win every week because of our quarterback,” he said.
“And it seems like right now in Tampa, they have such a belief in Baker – regardless if it’s how he talks to the media or how he’s playing – they believe. And when they believe, the defense plays a little better, the offense plays a little better, the special teams plays a little better.
“That’s where the similarities are with Tom and Baker… Everyone believes they’re the guy. If you believe he’s the guy, it doesn’t matter how you get them to believe – they’re believing.”
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