Amid the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ transition from Tom Brady to Baker Mayfield at quarterback, there’s been significant continuity.
That’s how Buccaneers defensive lineman Will Gholston described it during an interview with FOX Sports Radio at the Super Bowl festivities on Wednesday. Gholston played with Brady from 2020 to 2022 and won a Super Bowl with him before Mayfield joined the team in 2023.
“For me, I can say that I like a guy who I know will knuckle up when it’s time to knuckle up and he’s not going to shy away from that. So it’s easy to follow a guy like that,” Gholston said about Mayfield.
Then, Gholston compared Brady to Mayfield during the interview.
“He was, man, somewhat in the same [as Mayfield], I would say,” Gholston said. “I would knuckle up with Brady, too.”
Baker Mayfield joins Tom Brady as the only QBs in Buccaneers history to record a season with 4K+ passing yards, 25+ passing TDs and 10 or less INTs
Brady, of course, won seven Super Bowls in his career and piled on myriads of records and awards. He helped build a winning culture in Tampa Bay for a franchise that didn’t have a playoff appearance for 13 years.
Tampa Bay made three-straight playoffs and won two NFC South titles along the way — including a 2022 season where the Buccaneers stumbled to 8-9 overall. Many in the national media projected the Buccaneers to fall apart with Brady retired in February 2023, and Mayfield signing as a free agent in March 2023 didn’t hold much promise.
Mayfield slogged through three different teams in 2022 as the Cleveland Browns traded him to the Carolina Panthers, only to get cut in December 2022. He filled in for the Los Angeles Rams the rest of the season as starting quarterback Matthew Stafford sat out injured.
Baker Mayfield Won Over the Buccaneers Locker Room
Despite the doubters, Mayfield won the respect of the Buccaneers locker room and beat out Kyle Trask for the starting job. Mayfield went on to have a career year and lead the Buccaneers to another NFC South crown and Divisional Round appearance.
“Amazing, bro,” Gholston said about Mayfield. “He’s one of the coolest guys I’ve ever met. Real down to earth. Real genuine guy. Super competitive. Like, I’ll walk through a dark alley with that guy.”
Whether or not Mayfield and Gholston will go through the “dark alley” of a grueling NFL schedule in 2024 remains to be seen. Both Mayfield and Gholston can become free agents in March.
Mayfield could command $27.1 million annually per Spotrac. Gholston made $2.26 million on a 1-year contract with the Buccaneers this season, and he could command a similar contract for 2024.
Will Gholston Embraces Role With Buccaneers
While Gholston took on a backup role, he likes what he sees in the younger players such as Calijah Kancey and Logan Hall. Kancye tallied four sacks and Hall tallied two fumble recoveries.
“We have a lot of young guys that are rolling if you get a chance to watch us,” Gholston said. “For me, the type of man that I am, it is amazing to see somebody go from practice and translate that to the game and know that you had somewhat of a little effect on it.”
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Baker Mayfield, Tom Brady ‘Somewhat in the Same’ Says Buccaneers Pass Rusher