Breaking news: Buccaneers’ Baker Mayfield Could Face Major NFL Punishment After Lions Loss

Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were thoroughly outplayed under the bright lights of Monday Night Football. The Detroit Lions jumped ahead early and never looked back, turning a 14-3 halftime advantage into a convincing 24-9 victory. The defeat dropped Tampa Bay to 5-2 on the season.

Despite the setback, the Buccaneers remain in a strong overall position. However, their starting quarterback may soon find himself in trouble with the league office.

Following the Buccaneers’ loss to Detroit, Baker Mayfield is reportedly facing a hefty fine or punishment from the NFL for his postgame remarks about the officiating crew.

Mayfield was visibly irritated after the 24-9 defeat, voicing his displeasure with several referee decisions that left him baffled.

“Third-down defensive holding that wasn’t called, and I’m still pretty damn confused about the double review,” Mayfield told reporters, criticizing the officiating. “A lot of things in that game seemed questionable.”

He was referencing a controversial sequence where officials first ruled that tight end Cade Otton secured a first down on 4th-and-4, confirmed it after Lions coach Dan Campbell’s challenge, then bizarrely conducted another review that overturned the play—giving Detroit the ball deep in Buccaneers territory.

“There was a lot of frustration at the end, maybe directed at [referee] John Hussey in the heat of the moment,” Mayfield added. “But I work my a– off and care about this game, so when something doesn’t seem fair, I’m going to speak up. Good, bad, or indifferent.” The quarterback likely knew a fine would follow.

Pat McAfee seemed to share Mayfield’s frustration, posting on X during the broadcast: “The NFL looking out for Detroit.. LOVE TO SEE IT.”

Head coach Todd Bowles took a calmer tone postgame, commenting on the same “double review” situation. “It was an interesting call after they made it,” Bowles said. “We got the ball back, so it didn’t cost us anything, but it did eat some time. That didn’t win or lose the game.”

Bowles had a point. While the call indirectly set up Lions kicker Jake Bates’ 58-yard field goal to make it 24-9 instead of 21-9, Tampa Bay failed to score again, rendering the controversy meaningless in the end.