Baker Mayfield led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to another come-from-behind victory on Sunday, and the veteran quarterback says this one was personal.
The Buccaneers beat the New York Jets 29-27 in Week 3 at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. The Bucs went up 26-13 with 6:13 left in the game, but the Jets then quickly scored an offensive touchdown and blocked a field-goal attempt and returned it for another score.
Mayfield got the ball back with 1:41 remaining, and that was plenty of time for him to put together a game-winning field goal drive. The Buccaneers improved to 3-0, with all three of their wins coming by way of a go-ahead score in the final minute.
After the game, Mayfield was asked how good it felt for the Bucs to get a win for head coach Todd Bowles, who used to coach New York. The former No. 1 overall pick said he “loved it” and also took aim at Jets defensive coordinator Steve Wilks.
“I loved it. Also, their D-coordinator was the one who cut me in Carolina, so a lot of stuff was personal today. Haason Reddick, former Jet — a lot of people,” Mayfield said.
#Bucs QB Baker Mayfield on beating the Jets:
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 21, 2025
“Their D-coordinator (Steve Wilks) was the one who cut me in Carolina. A lot of stuff was personal today. Haason Reddick. Former Jet. A lot of people.” https://t.co/8bkVUhUtyq pic.twitter.com/iqYdPSduhJ
Mayfield was with the Carolina Panthers for a brief period in 2022. Wilks was the interim head coach at the time. Mayfield was granted his release late in the season after he fell behind both Sam Darnold and P.J. Walker on the depth chart, so Wilks obviously did not think very highly of Mayfield.
Mayfield, who is one of the most fiery players in the NFL, has not forgotten.
