Former New Orleans Saints legend Drew Brees is not only one of the best quarterbacks in NFL history, but he might also be the best undersized quarterback of all time, standing at 6 feet tall and weighing in at 209 pounds during his 20-year professional career.
During the performance Jim Romer Shaw, Brees had very high praise for the Buccaneers’ diminutive quarterback, Baker Mayfield, who stands 6-foot-1.
“He’s in the under 6-foot-tall category, right?” Brees said. “I like little guys, underdogs, sissy guys, always wanting to prove something, you know? He definitely fits that category.”
Brees was asked about Mayfield and his success last year, his first season with Tampa Bay.
Former Browns QB Baker Mayfield and CB Denzel Ward – Photo courtesy of USA Today
“Baker Mayfield’s journey has been incredible,” Brees said. “Say what you want, he seems overconfident, arrogant, borderline over-confident. Say what you want, right? But the reality is, he’s a Texas kid, grew up around the corner from me, went to Texas Tech and then eventually went to Oklahoma. He basically worked his way up through the ranks because he had ambitions of playing for a bigger program and playing for a national championship.”
“And that’s exactly what he did. He’s a Heisman Trophy winner. Obviously, he was the top pick by the Cleveland Browns, and it was a tough situation, but we all know he still led his team to the playoffs.”
Mayfield was the No. 1 overall pick out of the University of Oklahoma in 2018 and led the Browns to the playoffs in his junior year in 2020. Cleveland finished 11-5 that year and had an impressive playoff win on the road in Pittsburgh, but lost in the next postseason round to Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in Kansas City, who lost to the Buccaneers a few weeks later in Super Bowl LV in Tampa Bay.
Like Baker Mayfield, Drew Brees has had more success with another team.
Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield – Photo courtesy of USA Today
Drew Brees was selected 32nd overall by the San Diego Chargers in the 2001 NFL Draft. After five years with his first team, Brees became a free agent after suffering a shoulder injury in the final game of the 2005 season, choosing to sign with New Orleans over San Diego or Miami. He would go on to help the Saints win multiple division titles and a Super Bowl XLIV championship over the next 15 years.
Brees marveled at Baker Mayfield’s success with the Buccaneers in 2023 after being traded from the Browns to the Panthers in 2022, then waived and acquired by the Rams later that year. The fact that Mayfield persevered is a testament to his grit and his Texas background, a trait he and Brees share as both hail from the Lone Star State.
“And if you look at his career, he’s had some ups and downs, but I think there’s always been something. He’s got drive. He’s got determination. He’s got resilience. I think he’s got maturity. The NFL is tough. The fan base can be tough. The critics can be tough. I know he’s been in some tough spots, but if he gets up and comes back even stronger, I think he’ll have an opportunity at some point,” Brees said.
“I think that’s the approach he’s taken. And I think his success last year shows that when he gets into a competent situation with playmakers around him, he can make plays. He can get the job done.”
Mayfield, who is coming off his first 4,000-yard passing season and first Pro Bowl appearance, signed a three-year, $100 million contract with the Buccaneers this offseason. On Thursday, he Tampa Bay team captain For the second year in a row, we approach the 2024 season with high expectations.
