Ayden Garnes didn’t waste any time making his presence felt in his first NFL action.
The Buccaneers rookie cornerback stepped onto the field for preseason Week 1 against the Jets and came away with a pick-six, a debut moment that immediately put him on the radar. For Garnes, it was the kind of play he’s been chasing all summer, even if he admitted the moment still hit him hard.
“It was still a roller coaster for me just because you always dream of that,” said Garnes in a post-practice press conference. “Getting a pick-six in your first NFL game. Just having that opportunity to go out there and do that was a blessing.”
What stood out most, though, was that Garnes didn’t treat the play like a surprise. He sees it as the natural product of how he works every day. His approach in camp has been simple: bring the same edge to practice that he wants to show on game day.
“You practice how you play,” said Garnes. “If you come out here and [don’t] give it your all, that’s how it’s going to be in the game. I try to give my all in practice, even on hot days like this.”
That mindset matters now more than ever. The Bucs already have plenty of depth in the secondary, so Garnes knows the road to the 53-man roster won’t be easy. But if there’s one thing his football journey has taught him, it’s how to handle being the long shot.
“That’s been my whole career” said Garnes. “My first year (at Duquesne), a senior wasn’t playing well, and I ended up getting the start like the second or third game of the season.
My first game, [I] got a pick, [I] got a forced fumble. With West Virginia, there [was] a lot of big recruiting, a lot of big five stars, four stars, and by the third week of camp, I was with the ones and I never left.”
That underdog mentality has carried straight into his pro career. Garnes isn’t spending his energy worrying about the depth chart or who’s ahead of him. He’s focused on putting his best foot forward and letting the work speak for itself.
“Just having that mentality to just go out there,” said Garnes. “It [doesn’t] matter who is in front of you, who is [behind] you, just continuing to put my [best] foot forward.”
With two preseason games left, Garnes still has plenty of time to keep pushing his case. The Bucs host the Chiefs in Week 2 before traveling to face the Jaguars in Week 3, and every rep will matter as he tries to turn a strong start into something more permanent.
“I [don’t] care if I [am] the last person on a depth chart or the first person on a depth chart,” said Garnes. “I came here to win a job, and nobody is going to get in my way for that.”
For Garnes, the pick-six was never the finish line. It was just one more step toward proving he belongs.
In Other News...
Buccaneers Suddenly Have A Backup Quarterback Question To Weigh
The Browns decision to keep Deshaun Watson atop the depth chart for Week 1 has only sharpened the conversation around Shedeur Sanders, who impressed enough in the preseason to keep himself in the mix as a young quarterback with some real intrigue. After starting seven games as a rookie, Sanders enters the season in a familiar but awkward spot for a team that has to balance patience with the possibility that another club could come calling if it wants a backup with upside.
For the Buccaneers, that is the kind of question that tends to linger once the roster settles and the league starts looking for solutions behind center. Tampa Bay is among the teams mentioned as a possible fit, alongside the Rams, Eagles and Ravens, but nothing has moved beyond speculation at this point. The interesting part is not whether Sanders is available right now, but whether a team like the Bucs decides his talent is worth pressing for before the market tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs May Have Found A Low-Cost Answer To A Troubling Depth Issue
Cody Ford has popped up as a possible low-cost addition for Tampa Bay, a move that would give the Buccaneers another veteran option along an offensive line that could use more reliable depth. Released by the Bengals, Ford brings a familiar blend of experience and versatility, with starts at both guard and tackle over the last five NFL seasons.
There is also a small layer of familiarity here that could matter as Tampa Bay weighs its options. Ford and Baker Mayfield were college teammates at Oklahoma during Mayfields Heisman season in 2017, and that shared history could be part of what makes Ford an appealing fit as the Bucs look for help without making a major financial commitment. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Suddenly Have A Backup QB Problem They Can't Easily Solve
The Buccaneers are suddenly staring at a backup quarterback situation that looks less settled than it did a few weeks ago. Behind Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay has been sorting through Jake Brownings veteran experience and Jalon Daniels more dynamic preseason showing, and the contrast between the two has made the decision more interesting than expected.
Browning brings the kind of familiarity and steadiness teams usually want in a reserve, but Daniels has flashed the upside that can make a coaching staff pause. For a Buccaneers team that wants clarity behind its starter, the question now is whether it leans on the safer option or bets on the younger passer with more juice. [Read more 🡒]