The Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ defense is all set to take a leap as the team appears to have found a fix. To bolster a defense struggling to hold leads, the Buccaneers brought in veteran pass-rusher Jason Pierre-Paul. However, quarterback Baker Mayfield not only expressed optimism on the move but also saw it as a challenge for the offensive unit. According to Mayfield, the unit must now level up its game to match the defense.

“Obviously, a guy that’s had a ton of production over the years. That was a huge part of the Super Bowl here, and just a little bit more juice in the building; guys get excited about that,” Mayfield said in a recent press conference.

“It puts the pressure on when you bring guys in like that, you’re trying to elevate the standard, the performance level. And it pushes us on offense cause we just haven’t done enough to score enough points, quite frankly, and to put our defense in that position. So we got to be better overall.”

The Buccaneers signed Jason Pierre-Paul on December 8, 2025, after he had a tryout with the club. The team officially added him to their practice squad, considering the ongoing troubles with their pass rush this season. Losing their linebacker, Haason Reddick, to an ankle injury also turned out to be a trigger for this move.

Jason Pierre-Paul already has a strong history with the Buccaneers. He played for them from 2018 to 2021 and was part of the squad that won Super Bowl LV in 2020. The four seasons saw him record 33 sacks (tied for 10th in the team’s history), along with 35 tackles for loss, 55 quarterback hits, eight forced fumbles, and three fumble recoveries.

On the offensive side of things, the Bucs dealt with a major rash of injuries this season. Their right guard and tackle on the O-line went down in September and October and were placed on Injured Reserve, leaving the unit unstable. Two of their main wide receivers (Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan) also missed long stretches because of injuries (collarbone and neck, respectively).

While Mayfield is focused on elevating the offense, he’s also dealing with off-the-field distractions, including a recent fine from the league

Baker Mayfield receives punishment over touchdown handshake

The ongoing offensive struggles aren’t the only trouble for QB Baker Mayfield. He also recently drew a fine from the league for a post-touchdown handshake that turned controversial. After a touchdown by his teammate Bucky Irving in a game against the Arizona Cardinals, Mayfield and Irving performed a simple handshake.

However, the league deemed the celebration as “a violent gesture,” making it clear that it violated rules due to its alleged gang-related connotations. The aftermath included the imposition of a hefty $14,491 fine on Mayfield and $6,349 on Irving.

The word spread well, and media outlets stepped forward to drop questions on whether the gesture really deserved the label “violent.” The punishment adds to a season already full of challenges. With a 7-6 record, the team is now tied with the Carolina Panthers in their division. With their schedule pointing to an upcoming clash against the Atlanta Falcons, it remains to be seen what their refreshed strategy is.

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