(Video) Baker Mayfield Has a Heated Moment with Mike Jackson During Bucs’ Last Regular Season Game Against Panthers

Baker Mayfield and the Panthers Mike Jackson exchanged heated words after the star cornerback bumped into the Bucs QB on the sidelines in the first quarter.

(Video) Baker Mayfield Has a Heated Moment with Mike Jackson During Bucs’ Last Regular Season Game Against Panthers

Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield and the Panthers CB Mike Jackson beef on the sidelines (Image via IMAGO/X)

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Baker Mayfield plays his best football when the stakes are high. And things can get heated while he’s in the zone. Fans love this version of Baker, which has been missing for a long time.

Under the torrential downpour on Saturday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Mayfield and the Buccaneers stepped onto the field to decide their destiny. A 7-9 record was never going to be enough for them to clinch a playoff spot or the NFC South, considering the Carolina Panthers were 8-8.

If the season had ended at 16 games, then the Panthers would have wrapped up the division, along with enjoying a wildcard spot. With a 17-game season, neither club was in the clear.

Mayfield understood the assignment. The Bucs put their first points on the board during an opening drive that chewed up over five minutes of the clock. Mayfield connected with tight end Cade Otton for a score, with Chase McLaughlin adding the extra point.

The Panthers were forced to punt after Xavier Legette couldn’t hang on to a pass from Bryce Young. In the resulting drive, Mayfield drove the Bucs deep into Panthers territory. This is where things began to heat up between the two teams.

Carolina’s standout corner Mike Jackson bumped into Mayfield after he went out of bounds. The referee may have let him off with a warning, but Jackson still gave the Bucs QB a piece of his mind and kept at it, even as his teammates tried their best to pull the two apart.

The officials penalized Jackson for taunting and awarded the Bucs 15 yards, resulting in an automatic first down. The drive ended with McLaughlin scoring a field goal.

Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers can’t control their own playoff fate

The Bucs wouldn’t be in such a position if they had won more games. Despite being 6-2 after eight weeks of football, the Bucs won just one game (against the Cardinals) in the following weeks (including a 23-20 defeat in Carolina in week 16).

(Video) Baker Mayfield Has a Heated Moment with Mike Jackson During Bucs' Last Regular Season Game Against Panthers
#6 the Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (Image via IMAGO)

Young and the Panthers only needed to avoid defeat (a draw would have sufficed) to be crowned champions of their division and qualify for the playoffs. Unfortunately, they lost 16-14, creating a total mess of the playoff picture.

Ironically, both the Panthers and the Buccaneers are now 8-9 with the outcome. This has left both of their futures in limbo. Now, they must wait until Sunday and do what either team hates the most: cheer for the rival team’s success.

The Bucs need the New Orleans Saints to defeat the Atlanta Falcons, while the Panthers require the opposite to happen to play postseason football. The Falcons’ record will also be 8-9 with a win, but they can’t qualify based on head-to-head record. Ari Meirov of The 33rd Team tweeted that the team winning the division will secure the fourth seed and host a playoff game.

As for Mayfield, he concludes his second season after getting paid with 3693 yards, 27 total touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. It’s a massive drop-off compared to his 2024 tally of 4500 yards and 41 touchdowns.

Of course, his offensive coordinator, Liam Coen, left in the offseason to coach the Jacksonville Jaguars, and he battled a left shoulder injury. At one point, the Bucs looked like a team that could defeat anyone. And now they have to rely on the Saints to prolong their season.

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