Tampa Bay star Cade Otton explained exclusively to Mirror U.S. Sports what went through his mind when he saw Buccaneers star quarterback Baker Mayfield sidelined with an injury against the Rams
18:17 ET, 24 Nov 2025
Cade Otton (L) spoke on what it felt like to see Baker Mayfield (R) sustain an injury against the Los Angeles Rams
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Cade Otton (L) spoke on what it felt like to see Baker Mayfield (R) sustain an injury against the Los Angeles Rams(Image: GETTY)
INGLEWOOD - Bonds between two people often are built over time, and that is especially true with athletes.
Throughout their respective seasons, athletes spend more time with their teammates than with their own families, which often leads to strong bonds. The same can be said for the Buccaneers stars Cade Otton and Baker Mayfield, with the two building a rapport on the field since the latter arrived in Tampa Bay.
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When Mayfield sustained an injury in the Buccaneers' 34-7 loss to the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday Night Football, Otton was among those who were affected. Though Tampa Bay's loss, its third straight, was the undesired result, Mayfield's injury turned a rough outing into a nightmare.
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Speaking exclusively to Mirror U.S. Sports after the Buccaneers' loss, Otton shared what was going through his mind as the team regrouped after being blitzed by the Rams on Sunday, a night which also saw Matthew Stafford join an elite group of quarterbacks. Of note, the 26-year-old explained what the team's mindset had to be as Tampa Bay awaited the results of Mayfield's tests.
"Yeah, I mean, he's our leader," a thoughtful Otton began said after getting a few moments to process the defeat. "And it sucks to see him hurt and any of our teammates hurt. But we always have the 'Next man up' mentality. And we'll go from there and, you know, be there for him as he recovers, however long it takes."
While Teddy Bridgewater is a veteran presence under center, losing a player he has synergy with, like Mayfield, will be a bitter pill to swallow for the 26-year-old. Notably, Otton is Mayfield's second-most targeted player, with 60 on the year, behind Emeka Egbuka's 93, indicating how comfortable the quarterback is throwing to the tight end.
On Monday, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles updated reporters on Mayfield's injury, with the former stating he would not have a proper timeline until the latter underwent all the needed tests. Because Mayfield injured his non-throwing shoulder, Bowles claimed it was "too early to tell" if the quarterback would miss time.
Baker Mayfield #6 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers leaves the field after his team was defeated by the Los Angeles Rams in the game at SoFi Stadium on November 23, 2025 in Inglewood, California
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Mayfield left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' matchup against the Rams with an injury(Image: Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
In the second quarter of the Buccaneers' loss, Mayfield was spotted entering the medical tent, and despite the star favoring his left side, he was permitted to continue playing. "When he went in the tent and you can see it on his face when he came off the field and you kind of knew something happened right there," the 62-year-old told reporters Monday.
When asked how Mayfield was allowed to take the field despite being in pain, Bowles added, "The doctors decide and have something to do with it. He has a say-so, but more or less the pain thing and what he can do kind of tells the whole story so he really doesn't have that kind of say-so."
Toward the end of the first half, Mayfield once again was on the field for the final play, a Hail Mary that was intercepted by the Rams' defense. Immediately afterward, the star grimaced in pain, leading reporters to ponder why Tampa Bay called that specific play at that time.
Bowles defended the decision to have a Hail Mary throw with the Buccaneers down 31-7 at that point in the contest, believing it did not aggravate Mayfield's injury further. "It was either a foul ball or a Hail Mary. Either way, I mean, he was untouched when he threw the football. He just fell on his right shoulder, which his injured shoulder is his left shoulder," the head coach surmised.
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"It's unfortunate, so obviously he was holding the pain in for a couple plays."
Otton shared with reporters that it "just hurts" to see someone he considers his friend go down with an issue. Despite the potential loss of Mayfield for an extended period, Otton believes that the resilience the team has built should be more than enough to suffice.
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"I think that's already built in with all this time we spent together in the offseason and training camp and up to this point," he continued to reporters. "I don't think this is a team that comes apart or points fingers like that.
"But we got to start winning games. And we'll work as hard as we can to do that. I know I'll do that as well."