New Buccaneers Offensive Coach Eager to Work With Baker Mayfield's 'It Factor'

There are many new faces that have joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers coaching staff this year. One of those faces belongs to the team's new pass game coordinator T.J. Yates.

Yates was an NFL quarterback once upon a time, spending time with the Texans, Dolphins, Falcons and Bills, before eventually transitioning into his coaching career. For the past several seasons, Yates served as Zac Robinson's right-hand man in Atlanta, occupying numerous titles that included passing game specialist, quarterbacks coach and, most recently, passing game coordinator.

Although Yates wasn't exactly a household name as an NFL signal caller, his combination of experience on the field and on the sidelines has provided him with a deep understanding of the intricacies of the quarterback position.

After spending the last few seasons mentoring players like Kirk Cousins and Michael Penix, Yates will now have the opportunity to work up close and personal with Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Bucs new coach says Mayfield has the 'it factor'

Following the Buccaneers' rookie minicamp, Yates spoke with the local media on Tuesday. Naturally, Yates was asked to describe his perception of Mayfield.

"You look for guys like Baker that have that competitive edge, who have that something about them," Yates said. "That 'it factor' that, in my opinion, is kind of going away at the quarterback position in this league. And it is so refreshing to see a guy that has that in him and what that does for the locker room, the offense linemen, the team, the running back, everybody around him, you don't see that very often these days in the league and it's so awesome to see."

In addition to praising Mayfield's competitive spirit, Yates clearly understands that spirit comes with some risk.

"It does have its detriments at some point because you don't want him to get hurt, you don't want him to get dinged up, all these things, he's going to play no matter what," Yates said. "You're going to have to drag that guy off the field because that's just his competitive nature."

Managing Mayfield's competitive nature is a delicate balance

That being said, Yates recognizes that managing Mayfield's competitive nature will be a delicate balance, and something he wants to see contained, but certainly not extinguished.

"But you've got to dial it back a little bit, you know, got to calm that competitive edge down," Yates said. "But you don't want to take his stinger away, because that's what makes him great. That's what makes the rest of the team great."

There's no question that the Buccaneers needed to make some changes to their coaching staff. That being said, the team's success in 2026 will very much depend on the performance of Mayfield.

Not only will Robinson be tasked with putting Mayfield in the best situations possible to succeed, but Yates will have an integral role as well behind the scenes.

Regardless of how much influence comes from those coaches, or Mayfield himself, one thing is clear — It will need to be a concerted team effort to manage Mayfield's competitive fire on the field while ensuring it continues to burn hot at the same time.

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