Buccaneers quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis recently talked about how quarterback Baker Mayfield will always have a chip on his shoulder because of the obstacles he had to face on his path in the NFL and he’s not the only one in Tampa who feels like he was underestimated around the league.
General manager Jason Licht is in the same category. During an appearance on The Pat McAfee Show on Thursday, Licht was asked about preseason predictions that the Falcons will win the NFC South despite the Bucs being the champions with most of their key players back for the 2024 season.
“We’re kind of used to it. Sometimes I feel like, here in Tampa, we’re in witness protection,” Licht said. “I don’t want to say we’re doing shit, but there’s a kind of lack of respect. You can go on, like Lavonte David, I think, is a Hall of Fame type player. He doesn’t get enough credit like he should. Mike Evans has recently started to be considered a future Hall of Famer. So we’re used to it, but you kind of use it as ammunition.”
Licht said he loves “keeping receipts” from people who fire the Bucs, which makes it clear that Mayfield isn’t the only one motivated to prove people wrong as the season begins. If the Bucs can do it the way they did in 2023, Licht will have a lot on his plate when all is said and done.
