The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are walking into the season with plenty of noise around them, but Baker Mayfield isn’t interested in playing along with the doom-and-gloom talk.
That noise has only grown louder as the second preseason game nears. Defensive tackle Vita Vea is still holding out for a new deal, and Mayfield and the Buccaneers also couldn’t get an extension done. In the middle of all that, Mayfield has stayed in camp, stayed involved and said he would be "all ball" once negotiations were finished.
He sounded just as direct when asked about expectations during his Tuesday media session.
“I think we’re gonna shock a lot of people this year," Mayfield said. "You can’t avoid it.
The TVs everywhere... everyone is probably gonna pick us to have a losing record this year. We’ll see.”
That kind of skepticism is understandable after last season’s finish. Tampa Bay opened 6-2 before losing seven of its final nine games and missing the playoffs altogether. That late collapse is sure to shape how national pundits view the Bucs heading into 2026.
But this isn’t the same setup Tampa Bay rolled out a year ago. The offense has a completely new staff, with Zac Robinson now running things as offensive coordinator. The roster has also been reinforced with draft picks and free agents, including Rueben Bain Jr., Alex Anzalone and Kenny Gainwell, all of whom are in position to help.
Mayfield is trying to rebound as well. He spent the first half of 2025 in the MVP conversation before injuries and poor play dragged down his second half. One of the main fixes this time around is coming from quarterbacks coach Chandler Whitmer, who has put Mayfield’s footwork front and center in 2026.
"It starts with your feet," Mayfield said. "It starts with my feet and trusting the timing of that.
Chandler is a little annoying with it for sure... I need that.
I like to be coached hard, and he's definitely a stickler about it."
Mayfield is expected to play Saturday when the Buccaneers face the Kansas City Chiefs in their second preseason game at Raymond James Stadium at 7:30 p.m. EST.
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The bigger picture is hard to miss for Tampa Bay. Trotter is being viewed as a possible long-term defensive leader, the kind of player who could line up with Rueben Bain Jr. as part of the teams next core, and he is also in the mix for meaningful snaps this season. With Lavonte David now retired, the Bucs are looking for the next linebacker who can carry that standard, and Trotter has already shown enough veteran-like polish to keep that search interesting. [Read more 🡒]