TAMPA – The Tampa Bay Buccaneers did not win Super Bowl rings this past season but quarterback Baker Mayfield made sure his lineman felt appreciated with the next best thing.
Mayfield stopped by the TAG Heuer boutique at Tampa International Plaza recently to buy his teammates the latest Carrera Chronograph Extreme Sport timepieces.
Luke Goedeke, Tristan Wirfs, Robert Hainsey, Cody Mauch and Graham Barton were among teammates to receive the luxury watches, each featuring a skeleton dial to display its mechanics.
TAG Heuer Carrera’s brand pays tribute to the Carrera Panamericana auto race of the 1950s. And its Chronograph Extreme Sport watches are “inspired by the thrill of high-performance and adrenaline-fueled excellence” – something NFL players on the line of scrimmage can relate to.
Mayfield is coming off the best season of his career. His 4,500 passing yards ranked third among all quarterbacks while he threw the second most touchdown passes at 41.
Tampa Bay’s 10-7 record was the best in the NFC South Division. The Buccaneers returned to the NFL Playoffs for the fifth consecutive year.
This was in spite of losing receiver Chris Godwin in Week 7 for the rest of the season to an ankle injury. Receiver Mike Evans also was sidelined for three games as he nursed an injured hamstring from that same game. Other players also made the injury report.
“To me, it still goes up to the guys up front,” Mayfield told reporters at the end of the season about his team’s success. “Relying on those guys, leaning on them and trusting everybody else – just doing our job trying to find ways to win.”
Heading into the NFC Wild Card Round against the Washington Commanders, Mayfield shared with reporters his thoughts on his offensive line.
Mayfield described Wirfs’ growing comfort in his second year at left tackle as huge for the team. Wirfs earned his fourth consecutive Pro Bowl selection this past season.
Rookie center Barton and second-year Mauch showed growth over the season while Mayfield believes third-year tackle Goedeke is one of the most underrated linemen in the NFL.
Mayfield also credited fourth-year center Hainsey for helping everyone behind the scenes with communication.
“It’s a full group effort,” Mayfield said. “It’s fun to see the chemistry and how they work together.”
Mayfield surprised his offensive line with timepieces to thank them for protecting him throughout the season.
Barton and Hainsey liked the gifts so much, they visited the TAG Heuer boutique for themselves to see the collection. Their signatures joined Mayfield’s in what has become the Buccaneers autograph board.
