Buccaneers Veteran Lavonte David Destroys 'Bad Teammate' Narrative Looming Over Baker Mayfield Ahead Of Training Camp

Baker Mayfield's career has not played out as he had hoped to this point. That does not mean that it has not been successful, nor does it mean that he does not have time to turn the narrative around.

The former Heisman Trophy winner went No. 1 in 2018 and never quite got it to click while in Cleveland. Mayfield had losing seasons in three of four years.

Baker Mayfield left Cleveland disappointed.(Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

And then, when the Browns traded for Deshaun Watson, they shipped him off to Carolina. His six games as the starter saw just one win, which led the Panthers to cut him loose.

Mayfield landed in Los Angeles and started four games with, again, only one win. He is 31-38 all-time.

That record is certainly not ideal for anyone, let alone a former first-overall pick. Cest la vie.

Baker Mayfield's new chapter has begun.

On March 16, 2023, Mayfield signed a one-year contract with Tampa Bay. Tom Brady is gone and the Buccaneers need a quarterback.

Either Mayfield, Kyle Trask or John Woolford will be under center come Week 1.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Quarterbacks John Wolford (11) and Baker Mayfield (6) go thru a drill during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers OTA Offseason Workouts on May 30, 2023 at the AdventHealth Training Center at One Buccaneer Place in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The competition began during OTAs and will continue through training camp. More than likely, it will be Mayfield or Trask.

Veteran linebacker Lavonte David, who has played his entire 11-year NFL career in Tampa, says that the battle is "really fun to see." Especially considering that Mayfield is used to being "the guy."

He also pushed back on the stigma surrounding Mayfield.

Just over one year ago, Jason Lloyd of The Athletic reported the following:

Mayfield was widely viewed as childish and immature. His behavior annoyed teammates and divided the locker room. He was often difficult to coach.

David put that to bed during an appearance on SirusXM Radio.

Baker is great for our locker room. I like the way Baker carries himself coming in with a ready-to-work mentality. Everybody loves him already and the way he approaches practice is great to see. So there's definitely some great things to see out of Baker. He's a guy who's done it before — took his team to the playoffs and done some great things so far. So the competition with those guys is going to be very, very competitive, and I'm glad to be a part of it.

The Buccaneers will open training camp on Sunday, July 30. Mayfield and Trask will go to battle!