After numerous career twists, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield still doesn't fear fighting.
After their divisional round meeting was scheduled, Detroit Lions safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson took a shot at Mayfield in the pregame brawl. On Sunday, the Buccaneers will visit the Lions.
Gardner-Johnson told the Detroit Free Press on Monday that Tampa Bay's Mike Evans and Chris Godwin wide receivers would benefit with a "good" quarterback:
Gardner-Johnson expected Mayfield to notice. He may not have realized that Mayfield would spot a glaring mistake in his trash talk.
Mayfield calmly replied Wednesday that Gardner-Johnson may not know much about the Bucs because he mentioned Russell Gage as a notable wide receiver. Gage, who had 426 receiving yards for Tampa Bay last season, has not played in 2023-24 after damaging a patellar tendon in training camp.
There have been previous discussions about whether Mayfield should be the Buccaneers' quarterback, but it has been quieter recently. The former Cleveland Browns starter and first-round choice had career-highs in passing yards (4,044), touchdowns (28) and 7.1 yards per pass attempt with 10 interceptions.
That performance helped the Bucs win the NFC South and beat the struggling Philadelphia Eagles in the wild card playoffs.
In October, the Lions stopped Mayfield to 206 passing yards, zero touchdowns, and an interception in a 20-6 win, but Mayfield has shown enough this season to overcome a little dig. Especially when that dig is easy to recover.