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Baker Mayfield Sends Special Thanks to Saints QB — The Player Who Accidentally ‘Saved’ the Buccaneers’ Season

TAMPA, Florida — Just days after a gut-wrenching collapse against the Atlanta Falcons left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers staring at the possibility of falling out of the playoff picture, an unexpected result elsewhere in the NFL completely flipped the script. And this time, the lifeline didn’t come from Tampa Bay — it came from New Orleans.

When the New Orleans Saints stunned the Carolina Panthers with a dramatic 20–17 comeback win in Week 15, the ripple effect was immediate. Thanks to tiebreaker math, the Buccaneers suddenly found themselves back atop the NFC South. For Baker Mayfield, who had just endured one of the most frustrating nights of his season, the moment brought rare relief — and prompted a public show of appreciation toward an unlikely source.

That source was rookie quarterback Tyler Shough. In the Saints’ upset victory, Shough engineered two decisive drives in the final five minutes — first delivering a game-tying touchdown pass to Chris Olave, then calmly marching New Orleans into position for kicker Charlie Smyth’s game-winning 47-yard field goal. Saints fans celebrated. Panthers fans were stunned. And in Tampa, a season was suddenly revived.

Mayfield fully understood the significance. Only days earlier, the Buccaneers had blown a 14-point fourth-quarter lead against Atlanta, surrendering control of the division and watching morale hit rock bottom. But Carolina’s loss instantly reset the landscape. Tampa Bay went from being on the outside looking in to once again controlling its own destiny.

Speaking with local media, Mayfield reflected on watching the Saints–Panthers finish unfold:

“There are moments in a season when you think everything has slipped away, and then in one afternoon the entire picture changes. I’ve got a lot of respect for the way he played — calm, fearless, and unshaken. That kind of performance is the reason our team still has a chance to fight.”

Shough’s breakout performance resonated well beyond New Orleans. Teammate Chase Young praised the young quarterback for “starting to look like a franchise guy,” while analysts labeled the game a defining moment in his early NFL career. But for the Buccaneers, the impact was even more profound: it was a lifeline in a season that appeared to be unraveling.

Now, Tampa Bay enters the stretch run with a simple, powerful scenario — win at Carolina in Week 16 and at Miami in Week 17, and the NFC South belongs to them. Perhaps most importantly, the Buccaneers finally have their full offensive arsenal intact, with Mike Evans, Jalen McMillan, Emeka Egbuka, and Bucky Irving all available at once. What looked like a collapse may instead become a turning point.

The NFL is often decided by moments no one can predict. And in a season defined by chaos, the Buccaneers were handed a second chance — not by their own play, but by a rookie quarterback in New Orleans. Baker Mayfield knows it. Now the only question left is whether Tampa Bay will fully capitalize on the gift they’ve been given.

Just Three Hours After Being Released by the Packers, 2× Pro Bowl Star Deletes Every Post About Green Bay After His Attempt to Take a Pay Cut to Stay Was Rejected — His Vow Never to Return Leaves Packers Nation in Sympathy .
Green Bay, Wisconsin – The offseason took an emotional turn for the Green Bay Packers when the organization decided to release veteran offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins as part of a salary-cap adjustment. But what happened just hours later turned the situation into one of the most emotional storylines of the week across the NFL. According to multiple reports, Jenkins — a two-time Pro Bowl selection and former All-Pro honoree — had attempted to negotiate with the team and even offered to take a pay cut in order to remain with the franchise that originally drafted him. The effort ultimately fell short as Green Bay chose to move forward with a roster reset, clearing nearly $20 million in cap space for the 2026 season. Just three hours after the release became official, fans began noticing something unusual on Jenkins’ social media accounts. Every post connected to his years in Green Bay — from locker room celebrations to photos wearing the iconic green-and-gold uniform — had quietly disappeared. Jenkins had been one of the pillars of the Packers’ offensive line since being selected in the second round of the 2019 NFL Draft out of Mississippi State. Throughout multiple seasons, he built a reputation for rare versatility, capable of playing guard, tackle, and center at an elite level, and was widely regarded as one of the most reliable and flexible offensive linemen in the league. At his peak, Jenkins was often described as Green Bay’s “secret weapon” on the offensive front. He protected multiple quarterbacks over the years and helped anchor an offense that consistently remained competitive during several playoff runs. His ability to seamlessly shift across nearly every position along the offensive line made him one of the most trusted players inside the Packers’ locker room. At first, the decision to erase those memories surprised many fans. But once reports surfaced that Jenkins had been willing to sacrifice financially just to remain with the team, the reaction across Packers Nation quickly shifted from shock to empathy. Green Bay will always hold a special place in my heart because it’s where my journey truly began. But sometimes you fight to stay somewhere and still realize that chapter has ended, and when that moment comes, the only thing you can do is walk away with respect for every memory that was built there. While Jenkins did not criticize the organization, sources close to the situation say the emotional weight of the release influenced his decision to remove the posts. What surprised many even more was the report that Jenkins has told people close to him that he does not plan to return to Green Bay at any point in his career, choosing instead to start an entirely new chapter elsewhere in the NFL. Yet instead of anger, the reaction from Packers fans has largely been one of understanding. For many supporters, Jenkins’ willingness to take a pay cut simply reinforced what they had long believed. He wasn’t just protecting the quarterback on Sundays.He was trying to protect a home he once hoped would last his entire career.