Week 3 of the 2025 NFL season may be behind us but there’s still room for a little drama in the aftermath of those results.
Sunday’s slate from Week 3 featured a matchup between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and New York Jets. Tampa Bay won the game 29-27 on a Chase McLaughlin field goal from 36 yards out as time expired.
After the game, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield said the win was personal because the Jets’ defensive coordinator Steve Wilks was the interim coach in Carolina when the Panthers waived Mayfield back in 2022.
Wilks took his chance to respond to Mayfield’s comments today.
‘A lot of respect for Baker,’ Wilks said. ‘Tremendous football player and he’s doing a hell of a job with those guys down there. So nothing really to say beyond that.’
But he did add to that opening statement.
‘I don’t know how long you’ve been doing this but I’m sure you’re quite educated on it,’ Wilks said gesturing to a reporter. ‘I don’t really think an interim coach has that much authority over personnel.
If that was the case, I would’ve never gotten rid of our best player, Christian McCaffrey.’
Wilks took over as interim head coach in Carolina in 2022 when Matt Rhule was fired after a 1-5 start. Carolina traded McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers less than two weeks after Wilks was named interim head coach.
Mayfield was the Panthers’ starting quarterback to open the season and missed some time with a high-ankle sprain. He reportedly wanted out of Carolina as the season wore on and he was waived on Dec. 5, 2022 after going 1-5 as a starter.
Wilks said at the time that it was the best move for the team.
‘He felt and we felt we wanted to give him the opportunity to seek whatever him and his agent felt was best for him,’ Wilks said. ‘He has been nothing but a professional for us, so I wanted to extend that courtesy.
I wouldn’t say that he failed. I would say it just didn’t work out. He’s still a good football player. Just like coaches, just like players sometimes, they just need a change.’
A change turned out to be good for the former No. 1 overall pick. Mayfield bounced back immediately a surprising comeback victory with the Los Angeles Rams the same week he was released by Carolina. He signed with Tampa Bay that next offseason and has thrown a league-best 75 passing touchdowns since the start of the 2023 season.