Shaun King Blasts Bucs’ Effort, Directs Blame At Baker Mayfield And Overpaid Players
December 13th, 2025
Ex-Bucs quarterback Shaun King alongside Buccaneers Ring of Honor GM Jason Licht.
It’s dangerous territory when the “E” word gets thrown around by former players questioning current players’ effort.
That’s the kind of stuff that drives major change, including those coaching said team.
Former Bucs QB Shaun King, a lifelong Bucs fan from St. Petersburg, is frustrated by the Bucs and thinks they’ve got too manyoverpaid and underdelivering players.
“Everybody on our defense that’s been eligible to get a bag has got a bag, and they be out there like they don’t give a good god damn,” King told The Coach JB Show yesterday.
“A debacle like that on Thursday Night Football where you’re up 28-14 with everything at stake you just fall on your face? … We made Kyle Pitts look like the reincarnation of prime Tony Gonzalez. Like are you kidding me?”
One of four quarterbacks to lead the Bucs to the NFC Championship game, King added that a showing like Thursday puts Todd Bowles in danger of getting fired.
King, the former University of South Florida quarterbacks and running backs coach, said Baker Mayfield has been playing poorly for weeks and is pressing and becoming inaccurate.
It got real bad Thurdsay for Mayfield, per King. “I haven’t seen him that uncomfortable in the pocket for no reason in a long time.”