Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive star and current NFL Network personality Gerald McCoy shared a surprising revelation about Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield during Tuesday's edition of "The Insiders" program.
Per the JoeBucsFan website, McCoy said that Mayfield was hurt while playing for the Los Angeles Rams late in the 2022 season and "spent most of the 2023 offseason rehabbing." Mayfield signed a one-year "prove it" contract with Tampa Bay in March 2023.
"People don’t understand the difference between rehabbing and training," McCoy said while comparing Mayfield's first offseason with Tampa Bay to what the 29-year-old experienced this spring.
In addition to his offseason health concerns, Mayfield nursed injured ribs and a sore ankle into the Buccaneers' playoff run this past January before ultimately guiding the club to a 32-9 wild-card win over the Philadelphia Eagles. Tampa Bay then suffered a 31-23 divisional-round loss at the Detroit Lions.
McCoy added during the show segment that he visited the Buccaneers during the spring and liked what he saw, particularly from the club's QB1.
"I was down there … and I talked to Baker Mayfield," McCoy explained. "I’m telling you guys right now, Baker Mayfield is the wrong guy to get the confidence that he’s down there with."
Much has been made about reactions from individuals within the Buccaneers regarding predictions for the upcoming season after the Atlanta Falcons signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency. As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Falcons as the betting favorites at -115 odds to win the NFC South division title. Tampa Bay was second on the list at +310 odds.
Despite such projections, McCoy hinted that outsiders may want to think twice before they again doubt what Mayfield and the Buccaneers can accomplish together.
"He is so relaxed and comfortable with where he is at," McCoy said about Mayfield. "But he still has that chip on his shoulder because people are thinking, 'Maybe, it was a fluke?'"
If nothing else, McCoy's update suggests Mayfield is hardly satisfied after he signed a new three-year contract with the Buccaneers in March.
