Quarterback Baker Mayfield of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers is experiencing yet another change in play-calling leadership, marking his third different play-caller in as many seasons. This shift comes with the promotion of Josh Grizzard to offensive play-caller, replacing Liam Coen, who had taken over from Dave Canales. Despite the frequent turnover, Mayfield expressed optimism about this transition, emphasizing that this time it feels unique and more seamless.
Mayfield explained to ESPN’s Dan Graziano,
“I’m not meeting him for the first time. He was in all the meetings last year, and it also helps going into the same system. With the run game, he’s leaning on our offensive line coaches, which — huge, keeping those guys is a huge part of the run game’s success. So he’ll be motioning guys, … but when Grizz was in Miami it was, ‘How do they get Tyreek [Hill] to not be doubled?’ So his background is how to motion, how to get certain looks out of the defense. Our third-down stuff last year, a lot of it was Grizz. He was our third-down pass game coordinator. So we trust in that. Just having the communication of knowing him before, we don’t have to get to know each other. We can kind of just say what we’re thinking.”
—Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers QB
Young Wide Receiver Emeka Egbuka Impresses During Buccaneers Training Camp
Among the brightest spots for the Buccaneers this offseason is rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, the team’s first-round choice. Despite Tampa Bay already having experienced receivers in place, Egbuka has consistently proven his value and justified the team’s investment with his high football intelligence and route-running skills.
Head coach Todd Bowles highlighted Egbuka’s advanced understanding of the game, stating,
“His football IQ is far beyond a guy coming out of college. It shows up as far as leverage, when he’s being doubled, when he has to stop, when he has to break a route off, when he has to block somebody and then move to another gap and take the next guy. It’s just the little things that you would think you have to teach the whole way, he’s been doing the whole time.”
—Todd Bowles, Buccaneers Head Coach
Mayfield also praised Egbuka’s natural abilities, adding,
“Sometimes when receivers are running through routes and the ball is somewhat high but they don’t have to jump for it, some guys leave their feet. But he never leaves the ground. He stays grounded through the catch, so the potential for explosive plays with him is huge. Just the details of his routes, too, he learns from everything, watches other guys, understands the coverages. … Some things like that you can tell a rookie but he can’t exactly take it from the practice meeting to the field immediately, might have to do it a couple of times, but Emeka does it seamlessly.”
—Baker Mayfield, Buccaneers QB
General Manager Jason Licht underscored Egbuka’s readiness, quipping,
“He looks like he’s been in the league for 10 years.”
—Jason Licht, Buccaneers General Manager
Panthers Coach Dave Canales Reflects on Bryce Young’s Leadership and Team Growth
The Carolina Panthers’ head coach, Dave Canales, revisited the decision to bench quarterback Bryce Young and discussed how Young earned back the starting role by demonstrating effective leadership throughout the process. Despite disagreeing with the decision to bench him, Young worked hard and maintained his leadership role both on and off the field.
Canales commented,
“He continued to lead throughout that process. He earned a lot of respect from his teammates, from me, that regardless of the situation — he didn’t agree with me on the decision not to play him — but he worked and he kept leading. He was showing me, ‘This is my team.’ And he was showing his teammates, ‘You’re my guys.’”
—Dave Canales, Panthers Head Coach
Young reflected on the experience, saying,
“He came back in and we started to grow together, and then building into that into the offseason, the leadership continued. That was the most impressive part to me. It’s a real challenge, we’ve seen different situations, different scenarios on teams where a top pick is struggling and can get isolated from teammates. He just stepped up.”
—Bryce Young, Panthers QB
Regarding injury updates ahead of the Panthers’ joint practice with the Cleveland Browns, Canales noted defensive lineman Derrick Brown will likely miss Wednesday’s session due to a bruised rib. Meanwhile, receiver Hunter Renfrow and second-round outside linebacker Nic Scourton are recovering well from hamstring injuries, but the team plans to allow adequate time for their return.
Saints Rookie Tyler Shough Discusses College Journey and NFL Opportunity
Tyler Shough, the New Orleans Saints’ second-round quarterback pick in the 2025 <a href="https://www.buzzineintl.com/category/football/nfl/”>NFL Draft, spoke candidly about his collegiate career and the fresh start he anticipates with the Saints. Despite competing alongside well-known quarterbacks like Brock Purdy, Trevor Lawrence, and Justin Fields during his college years, Shough declined to draw direct comparisons.
He shared with ESPN’s Katherine Terrell,
“Who knows who I would be or where I would be if everything had worked out [differently]. It worked out the way it was supposed to because now I’m in [this] opportunity with a great team and kind of a fresh start with a new staff.”
—Tyler Shough, Saints QB
Reflecting on his path from Oregon (2018-2021) to Texas Tech (2021-2023), and finally Louisville in 2024, Shough described the emotional challenges he faced:
“It was a lot of emotions because everything that [happened] … like, ‘Man, you stuck it out and you saw some good come out of it.’ It was just a lot of true ups and downs to where at that point you kind of understand, ‘Man, my time here is probably done at Texas Tech.’”
—Tyler Shough, Saints QB
He also shared the skepticism he encountered upon transferring, stating,
“You’ll get signed or picked up. You’re smart, you got a good arm, but you’re too old. You’re not going to increase your draft stock.”
—Tyler Shough, Saints QB
In other Saints injury news, sixth-round running back Devin Neal is expected to miss several weeks due to a hamstring injury, and tight end Juwan Johnson’s status is currently listed as day to day.
Impact and Outlook for Buccaneers and NFL Season
The Buccaneers’ third play-caller change within three years highlights the ongoing adjustments Tampa Bay’s offense has had to navigate. However, Baker Mayfield’s confidence in Josh Grizzard’s familiarity and system knowledge may provide much-needed stability, potentially improving offensive cohesion heading into the season.
Emeka Egbuka’s rapid development suggests that Tampa Bay’s investment in youth may pay dividends, adding an explosive element to their offense. Meanwhile, leadership examples like Bryce Young’s resilience in Carolina illustrate how quarterbacks respond to adversity, which can shape team chemistry.
With Tyler Shough preparing for his NFL debut, the Saints are looking to build on fresh talent and experience, balancing expectations with patience during recovery periods for key players. These storylines, alongside injury updates and positional battles, set a dynamic and uncertain tone for the teams involved as they gear up for the 2025 NFL season.