“I Wish I Had That Guy!”
August 19th, 2026
Big Baker Mayfield fan.
In honor of Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Chucky returning to the broadcast booth to call the Chiefs-Bucs worthless preseason game on Saturday, Joe will have a daily story about Chucky in the lead-up to the game.
It’s interesting to Joe that, almost since the team’s inception in 1976, the Bucs have been known as a defense-first franchise. Yet it was two offensive coaches who led the Bucs to their two Super Bowl wins, Chucky and Bucco Bruce Arians.
There are a couple of other connections between Chucky and Bucco Bruce.
When Arians interviewed for his first head coaching job at Temple, Chucky’s dad, Jim Gruden, had a connection with the Philadelphia school. He recommended the school hire Arians. They did.
The other connection? Both Chucky and Bucco Bruce love Baker Mayfield.
Bucco Bruce has been on the Mayfield bandwagon for years, back when Mayfield was in Cleveland. Chucky has mentioned on several platforms multiple times that he loves Mayfield.
As Chucky prepares to call the Chiefs-Bucs game Saturday night on WFLA-TV Channel 8, along with Bucs Hall of Famer Rondé Barber, Chucky was asked about Mayfield.
“I expect to see a lot. You know, he’s one of the more productive guys the last three years. If you’re into touchdowns and yards passing,” Chucky said recently at One Buc Palace.
“The durability is what I love about this guy. Fifty-one straight starts. He doesn’t complain about the injuries. He plays through things. Hopefully, we can protect him, and hopefully, we take better care of the ball.
“Yeah, he has had some interceptions and fumbles. He is reckless, man. But he is fun to watch. I wish I’d had that guy!”
Chucky went through quarterbacks like most people go through clean socks. Joe maintains he has yet to meet a QB he doesn’t like — until the quarterback played for him.
Joe finds it more than interesting that the two guys who brought glory to the Bucs are both on the Mayfield train while many others in the Tampa Bay area are not.
August 19th, 2026 at 12:40 am
It is crazy. Baker is what this franchise has been longing for and yet so many want to push him out. He is who gets me excited to watch on game days.
Let’s get over the games Jason is playing. Pay him.
August 19th, 2026 at 1:23 am
the glazers can’t pay baker. they lost financial control over the soccer team and the new controlling owner cut off their fat executive salaries they had been extracting from the club. the Glazers have used the soccer team as a never ending piggy bank. And now they don’t have it anymore
Well now that has dried up and until they sell their remaining interest in the soccer team they are out of money. They aren’t Broke but paying Baker a 200 million guaranteed contract isn’t achievable by the glazers as they don’t have the cash to put into the required escrow account once the contract with Baker is signed.
Lichts hands are tied while our “rubbing hands together” owners sit back and figure out where they can get money to pay guarantees in future contracts
Follow the money as it leads to the real answers why Licht can’t do anything.
August 19th, 2026 at 1:30 am
Do you guys remember 76? Dave Logan!!
August 19th, 2026 at 1:33 am
How many times does it need to be said, it’s the salary cap that is the primary reason certain guys aren’t signed. Every owner in the NFL, including the glazers, have more than enough money to do whatever they want. It’s impossible to be cheap with a salary cap. That doesn’t mean that some owners won’t spend less if they can get away with it. The Bengals owner is notorious for this. But the glazers are not. So the reason they are not paying Baker has zero to do with the soccer team. That’s just an old, tired, lazy argument that tries to place blame where it doesn’t belong.
August 19th, 2026 at 1:41 am
Joe says:
…Yet so many others in the Tampa Bay area are not.
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Because we’re not satisfied with 28-26.
August 19th, 2026 at 2:19 am
I agree with OR Buc
It doesn’t make sense that there is a group that’s actually begging to get Mayfield gone!
I suppose it goes to show that most of the ones talking out the sides of their mouths….. if they “are” fans in the first place, they CERTAINLY HAVEN’T been a fan for very long!
If they had been around for at least 10 years then THEY WOULD KNOW! They would KNOW that without a doubt we haven’t had a QUALITY QB behind center (besides a short term with Brady..) EVER! There has NOT EVEN ONCE been a QB that has received a second contract in the HISTORY OF THE TEAM! If Mayfield gets a second contract… It’ll be the FIRST TIME in TEAM HISTORY! H3!!, the guys ONLY HAD 1/2 of a bad season ever while here and YOU PEOPLE D@@@MN SURE KNOW WHY!
Usually he’s either been going to “Pro Bowls or competing for MVP!” So….
You people NEED TO let that sink into your heads… Mayfield is the second best QB we’ve EVER HAD! (Brady gets my vote for number one) Winston comes in at third and if it’s Winston that’s come in so high in 50 YEARS then for the newbies you’ve GOT TO ask yourself just how anemic it REALLY HAS BEEN for this organization for 50 freaking years and quarter backs! We’ve had DOZENS and they all pretty much SUCKED OUT LOUD!
And for the old timers talking smack…. IT’S A COME ON MAN MOMENT! Wake Up and GET REAL!
We’re NOT going to get a better qb option without “a MIRACLE”! And that miracle CAN ONLY come from the draft (which might actually happen because the closer to go time for the start of the season, the UGLIER our chances look for anything resembling WINNING Success! And of course the cherry on top is that “Bozo the Clown” IS STILL walking the sidelines, or standing there with his famous “Clueless Dear in the Headlights pose”, ruining new defensive draft picks, while INSISTING ON sticking to what HASN’T WORKED EVER! O What a Joy it ISN’T!
We, at least for a couple more years MINIMUM, Better Hope that Mayfield is still around to give us at least SOME SENSE of “maybe we can win this thing”….
August 19th, 2026 at 2:57 am
To expand upon what Steveen007 has been trying to get through the thick heads of some people, the NFL REQUIRES teams to spend the majority of the salary cap (90%) in actual cash payouts. Teams cannot decide NOT to spend the money or they have to pay a financial adjustment, allocating the shortfall to all of the players who were on the payroll during the shortfall time block.
August 19th, 2026 at 3:37 am
I’m with Chucky on this. People argue about whether Mayfield is elite or average, whether he can win a Superbowl, and like that, and I honestly don’t know. But I remember his play. When I think of why I watch sports, I think of MJ scoring 39 with on an IV with food poisoning in game 6 against the Jazz, or making a free throw with his eyes closed on a dare by Mutumbo. Magic Johnson and Jason Kidd distributing the rock, or Dr. J throwing it down. Brett Favre leveling a linebacker trying to stop a pick six against the Falcons in 2002. About 100 incredible runs by Barry Sanders. Could I care less whether Sanders won the Superbowl? Not hardly.
For me, watching Mayfield hold off Bosa while running halfway across the field for a 4th down completion is on that list. So are his elusiveness and more-balls-than-brains scrambles for first downs. I’ll remember those plays a lot longer than his playoff win percentage, or most Superbowls, and they’re what make me a fan. Like Chucky said: he’s fun to watch.
August 19th, 2026 at 5:29 am
“I wish I’d had that guy”
You did Jon – for a short period. His name was Jeff Garcia. Very similar player….