Last year, Baker Mayfield entered the season with a bit of a chip on his shoulder as he had something to prove after failed stints with both the Cleveland Browns and the Carolina Panthers. After earning his starting role and proving himself last season, things are a bit different this year, but that doesn’t mean he won’t still have a chip on his shoulder.
During a press conference on Monday, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback coach Thad Lewis made it clear that he doesn’t think the chip will ever fully come off the shoulder of Baker Mayfield, but that’s not a bad thing.
“It’s different because we know who the quarterback is, that’s first,” Lewis said. “Secondly, he has a contract so the guys know it’s his team — he knows it’s his team. He’s confident and comfortable because he’s been in this scheme before, before he came here, and it has some similarities. So, he’s not thinking.
“I think the chip on his shoulder can not completely fall off, but … he can be at ease a little bit. And I think that’ll never go away because of how was brought up and I think that’s his motivating factor. But, at the same time, he’s confident, comfortable. You can tell he’s getting guys in order. They’re communicating. He’s demanding it from the guys and himself — so you can kind of see it’s not a learning curve right now. It’s more, let’s grow as a team and as a unit.”
We’ll have to see how Mayfield performs this upcoming season.
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