So a question was posed to Bucs inside linebacker K.J. Britt on radio that led off with, ‘You probably don’t talk to him a lot, but what do you see when you see Baker Mayfield?’
Britt quickly shut the initial implication down immediately — and explained that he is watching daily inspiration from his quarterback.
“Baker motivates me. I talk to Baker every day. That’s one of my close friends. You know, we talk all the time,” Britt told former Jets linebackers coach and personnel director Pat Kirwan on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
“I check on him. Yeah, we got a great relationship. But Baker, just knowing his story, and I tell him all the time, ‘You motivate me and you’re always against the odds.’ And that’s the beauty of this sport. The beauty of this sport is there’s always room for football players. You know, there’s always room for guys that might not look like this [or might not look like that], but there’s always room for football players.
“And just watching Baker … just watching him just keeping his head down and work, it’s motivating. You know, he’s a great guy to be around. He’s a great leader, you know, just his swagger, his presence, it’s all great to be around. So I tell him all the time, ‘you motivate me, Baker. Keep doing what you’re doing. I’m watching.’ You know what I’m saying? A lot of other guys are [watching], too.”
Head coach Todd Bowles often has said that Mayfield does a great job bonding with defensive players. And that’s not necessarily a given across NFL teams, which is why Kirwan opened his question like he did.
Kirwan didn’t expect a third-year Bucs linebacker who mostly was a backup last season to have a relationship with his veteran quarterback. Heck, Joe also was a little suprised when Britt said he talks to Mayfield daily.
Interesting stuff.
For those wondering, Britt also is a big Bowles fan and seems in awe of his football IQ. “Just to be around him, man, it blows my mind.”
