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Former Buccaneers Offensive Coordinator Makes Cheeky Comment on Baker Mayfield

There's a lot of love between Dave Canales and Baker Mayfield, but the new Panthers head coach couldn't help but take a friendly dig at the Bucs now that they're his division rivals.

River Wells

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Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator and current Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales has a lot of love for quarterback Baker Mayfield, and vice versa. But now that Mayfield is a potential division rival should he return to the Bucs, that's not going to stop him from taking a fun dig at his former quarterback in Tampa Bay.

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Canales spoke with Kay Adams on her show Up & Adams on Wednesday, and when asked by Adams if he's rooting for Mayfield to get his big deal in Tampa Bay, he responded through the lens of his new job with the Panthers rather than his old one with the Bucs.

"I think the more resources he occupies for the Bucs the less great players they can add to the team, so let's go ahead and pay that guy whatever he wants," Canales said. "That was kinda in the works all along, let's keep this market going up here, so give us the advantage again."

Canales is of course being cheeky in regards to Mayfield, who had a career year under his guidance in 2023, but he also isn't wrong. Between deals to wide receiver Mike Evans and Antoine Winfield Jr. (should he get extended while currently on the franchise tag), Mayfield's deal will ensure that those three players will take up a significant portion of the salary cap going forward. Mayfield's play last year made a new deal worth it, but it will be interesting to see how much money Tampa Bay decides to give Mayfield if they do indeed sign him to a new contract.

Meanwhile, the Canales is in a bit of a bind himself. The Panthers currently sit with the 20th-most cap space in the NFL (below the Bucs at 18) and they don't have a first-round draft pick this year, trading it to the Chicago Bears to draft quarterback Bryce Young in 2023. He'll look to build a roster under some tough circumstances this upcoming season, and knowing Baker Mayfield, he'll be ready to face off against his former coach should he be a Buccaneer next year. 

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You can follow River Wells on Twitter @riverhwells.

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River Wells
RIVER WELLS

River Wells is a sports journalist from St. Petersburg, Florida, who has covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 2023. He graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Florida in 2021. You can follow him on Twitter @riverhwells.