Jason Licht praises QB Baker Mayfield: ‘He’s that guy’

Baker Mayfield has exceeded expectations, and it’s surprised many in the NFL sphere — but not Jason Licht.

What many considered to be one of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ greatest weaknesses in the offseason turned into one of their biggest strengths.

Quarterback [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag] has done his job and more in the first four weeks of the season. So far, he’s thrown for 882 yards, seven touchdowns and just two interceptions and is currently seventh in ESPN’s QBR rankings. Mayfield has proved wrong the many who have counted him out, but according to Bucs general manager Jason Licht, this was expected out of him when he came to Tampa Bay — and he’s even exceeded those expectations.

Licht spoke with FOX Sports’ Peter Schrager on his podcast This Season With Peter Schrager, and he spoke very highly of Mayfield in a number of respects. He first mentioned his intelligence, which he said surpassed even his lofty expectations coming out of Oklahoma to the NFL.

“Baker, he’s a very, very smart person,” Licht said. “I knew he was smart, we did our due diligence on him coming out… I didn’t realize just how incredibly smart he is.”

Licht also revealed that it wasn’t just the Tampa Bay Buccaneers who were interested in Mayfield, but that Mayfield himself targeted Tampa Bay as a desirable destination when he was in free agency.

“He saw this as an awesome opportunity for him,” Licht said. “And we told him from the beginning that this is going to be a competition, because we really like Kyle Trask. And as you know, Baker, he didn’t flinch.”

Licht also stressed that Mayfield is a players’ player, and has already built up a strong rapport with the locker room. He took his offensive linemen to the Bahamas earlier in the offseason on a golf trip, and he also has remained personable with his team around him as the regular season has continued.

“He’s spotted around town at dive bars with receivers, with Mike Evans, with Godwin,” Licht said. “He’s that guy. He’s the man. And it’s not fake.”

Check out the segment with Licht and Schrager below:

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