Baker Mayfield: “We Needed Some A**holes Over There”
June 16th, 2026
Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield chatted with reporters at One Buc Palace this morning and expressed his approval for the defensive changes to the roster.
New Bucs defensive tackle A’Shawn Robinson has a Super Bowl ring he earned with the Rams for the 2021 season — some thought he deserved the Super Bowl MVP honor — and arrived in March to Tampa from Carolina.
He fits the nasty mold, as does newcomer edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad and first-round draft pick Rueben Bain, among others like starting inside linebacker Alex Anzalone, the veteran from the Lions.
The Bucs tried to add edgier dudes to the defense and Mayfield had no issue blessing the necessity of the effort.
“I think people have said it. We needed some assholes over there, and he’s one of them,” Mayfield said of Robinson, adding his fighting nature is “stamped on his forehead.”
Joe already shared how YaYa Diaby seems mesmerized by the return of Rakeeem “Nacho” Nuñez-Roches because he can help erase the lethargy from the 2025 defense.
New defensive players, new defensive assistant coaches, Joe hopes it really is a new day in Tampa Bay.
June 16th, 2026 at 11:56 am
I think its safe to say that the Bucs must have cleaned house of all these people and Dean was probably one if them.
June 16th, 2026 at 11:57 am
Love how Mayfield is always himself regardless of the situation!
June 16th, 2026 at 11:58 am
Hope!
June 16th, 2026 at 11:59 am
Logan Hall and Greg Gaines probably too. And Hassan Reddick almost definitely didn’t love football.
June 16th, 2026 at 12:05 pm
Yes while the Bucs need further additions on defense they have started the rebuild mode. I am positive about the changes while believing they were not enough. However, with additional changes maybe the defense can be stout by next year. This year expect them to give up a ton of points in the passing game. Hopefully though passion, tackling and hustling will have changed.
June 16th, 2026 at 12:24 pm
I was there live for 3rd and 28 coming right at me!!! still have nightmares!! Please show passion, a lot more gang tackling and over all hustle and I guarantee that play does not happen. Go Bucs
June 16th, 2026 at 12:35 pm
The most important piece has been left to become even more stale. A real coach would never allow players to not care. There’s a reason they didn’t care, though, and it’s the person who let them get away with it.
June 16th, 2026 at 1:03 pm
Music to the ears. Defense, defense, defense!
June 16th, 2026 at 1:03 pm
Joe … ‘New defensive players, new defensive assistant coaches, Joe HOPES it really is a new day in Tampa Bay.’
Agree that HOPE is not a strategy Joe (any more than expecting to win the lottery is a sound retirement plan) BUT … the lack of HOPE sure does leave one feeling HOPELESS. Crappy way to go through life.
June 16th, 2026 at 1:29 pm
Let’s gooo. Bring back hard hitting , putting the QB on its ass and stopping the run and things will look much better.
June 16th, 2026 at 1:34 pm
I don’t see how the Defense can be worse than it was last year, that was just sad to watch.
June 16th, 2026 at 1:37 pm
Not a good Look– A Coach can not make his players love football the player either loves football it doesn’t Coach Bowles has Alot of things he could do better but making a player love something is not one of them I like Bowles always have does he do things sometimes that make me scream yes he does but So does every coach or every player that’s the name of the game.
June 16th, 2026 at 1:58 pm
No issues with any of that, the team overall needs more attitude – it’s a very dull squad personality wise.
And no, that isn’t all because of the coach. An all-time attitude team, for any sport, was that late 90s-early 00s Bucs team, and you had Tony Dungy as HC. Obviously in a completely different class than Bowles, but Dungy wasn’t fiery, didn’t do any of the crap people claim a coach has to do, and yet players played hard – and they talked so much trash it was incredible and would make millennials cry. Heck look at how many crybaby’s in the comments here talk about how Sapp made them cry when they meet him in person. That’s what this team needs, some real a-holes that make lightweight ‘fans’ cry. Stop all this community outreach crap and get guys who win games – that’s what people pay to watch.
June 16th, 2026 at 2:06 pm
Speaking of a-holes, Cameron Jordan is back for the Saints.
June 16th, 2026 at 3:02 pm
Zing!
June 16th, 2026 at 3:40 pm
BuccinBaker6,
What does that have to do with my comment? (Rhetorical btw)
It sounds like you just really wanted to say that….which is totally fine, but don’t address it to someone where it really doesn’t specifically correlate much at all
June 16th, 2026 at 4:13 pm
Whether you’re an NFL coach or a manager working a regular job, the key is simple. Know your weaknesses and surround yourself with people who excel at these same attributes. There have been many excellent coaches who are stoic or quiet on the sidelines but are surrounded with personalities with attitudes.
June 16th, 2026 at 5:48 pm
There’s plenty on this blog