Bucs wide receiver Ryan Miller (81) goes one-on-one with Titans cornerback Gabe Jeudy-Lally (32) during Thursday's joint practice. The teams face off in a preseason game Saturday at Raymond James Stadium.
Bucs wide receiver Ryan Miller (81) goes one-on-one with Titans cornerback Gabe Jeudy-Lally (32) during Thursday's joint practice. The teams face off in a preseason game Saturday at Raymond James Stadium.
TAMPA — The scrimmage became a skirmish. Tempers boiled as the temperature rose when the Bucs and Titans held a joint practice Thursday morning.
Not surprisingly, quarterback Baker Mayfield was right in the middle of the bench-clearing brawl, which was brief but halted play for several minutes.
Running back Bucky Irving got thrown down after the end of a play, and center Graham Barton and guard Cody Mauch stood up for him.
Baker Mayfield says the Bucs won’t start a skirmish because “we’re not stupid,” but they don’t mind finishing them like they did vs the Titans Thurs. pic.twitter.com/fb5SPw29gz
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) August 7, 2025
“It’s going to happen,” Mayfield said of the dust-up. “Our group is not going to back down. You get guys shoving people late in the back — we’re not going to back down. We’re not going to start it because we’re not stupid, but we’ll finish it.”
Left tackle Tristan Wirfs, who is recovering from knee surgery, used crutches to step onto the field as if he planned to participate.
“He needs to stay his ass on the sideline with those crutches,” said Mayfield, laughing. “Yeah, I was in the middle of it. It’s fun.”
Bucs head coach Todd Bowles didn’t make much of the fight.
“Everybody’s in the skirmish. Nobody wants to throw a punch,” Bowles said. “It’s not necessary. We’re not trying to do that right there. They’re not trying to do it as well. If it’s hot and you got pads on, it’s going to happen.
“So, welcome to training camp.”
The two-hour workout, complete with referees, was really the unofficial start of the preseason. The Bucs host the Titans Saturday night at Raymond James Stadium, but most of the starters for Tampa Bay will not play.
New Bucs edge rusher Haason Reddick came up with an interception, and both Emeka Egbuka and Mike Evans found the end zone. But the play of the day belonged to undrafted rookie safety J.J. Roberts, who soared for a highlight-reel interception that had teammates roaring on the sideline.
Bucs D-line was dominant
From one-on-one drills to the 11-on-11 scrimmage, the Bucs controlled the line of scrimmage with few exceptions.
Third-year defensive tackle Calijah Kancey, who led the Bucs with 7.5 sacks despite missing five games with injury, was nearly unblockable in pass rush drills and during the scrimmage. He’s missed at least four games to start each of the past two seasons due to calf strains.
Logan Hall demonstrated the strength he gained in the offseason by pushing the pocket. Reddick, who signed a one-year, $14 million contract with the Bucs in March, dropped into coverage during a two-minute drill and intercepted Titans rookie Cam Ward. The pick came on the play after the scuffle.
![Bucs linebacker Haason Reddick works on a defensive drill during training camp ahead of joint practice with the Titans.](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 620 413"/%3E)
Bucs linebacker Haason Reddick works on a defensive drill during training camp ahead of joint practice with the Titans.
“It was a good change-of-pace call in two-minute (defense),” Bowles said. “He came up with the play. We reloaded after that, but he made a big play to get us off the field and possibly some points. So that was huge to see.”
A word about Kancey: He was unblockable. Kancey led the Bucs with 7.5 sacks last season and missed five games with a recurring calf strain. Kancey says if he stays healthy for a full season, he can lead the NFL in sacks.
Egbuka put on a show
![Rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka catches a pass while being defended by Titans cornerback Davion Ross (40).](data:image/svg+xml,%3Csvg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" viewBox="0 0 620 795"/%3E)
Rookie wide receiver Emeka Egbuka catches a pass while being defended by Titans cornerback Davion Ross (40).
Sure, in one-on-one passing drills the offense has a big advantage. It’s even bigger the way Egbuka, the Bucs’ rookie receiver, has been playing.
Lining up against Titans cornerback Davion Ross, Egbuka blew past him on a go-route and Mayfield feathered the football in there perfectly so the former Ohio State star could make his own highlight-reel play just short of the end zone.
It’s the kind of play that Mike Evans has made look routine over the course of his record-setting career. Second-year receiver Jalen McMillan also made several impressive catches.
“Just any experience for those guys to see it against a different scheme, different guys,” Mayfield said of Egbuka. “You get used to how certain (defensive backs) are going to cover you in camp and so for him to be able to work some of that stuff is vital experience. But yeah, we trust him.”
Mauch puts an All-Pro on his back
We all know that Mauch has yoked up during each of the past two offseasons, adding muscle.
Going against All-Pro defensive lineman Jeffery Simmons in a one-on-one pass drill, Mauch put Simmons on his backside.
Needless to say, Simmons didn’t take too kindly to being embarrassed and fired back.
“Cody’s been very consistent and he’s a good athlete because he’s played a bunch of positions himself,” Bowles said. “... He’s very smart and you’re not going to fool him twice, and he’s a heck of a competitor. So, I can see him winning some of those (reps) against a great player.”
Roberts and the play of the day
Roberts, an undrafted safety from Marshall, is making quite a push to secure one of the Bucs’ 53-man roster spots.
Locked in a one-on-one passing drill with TJ Sheffield, he leaped with the Titans receiver and pulled the football out of his arms on the way down for the interception.
“He’s got ability,” Bowles said of Roberts. “He’s got a lot of ability. We like that he’s versatile and can play free (safety) and he can play nickel (cornerback). ... He can cover. I saw that he can hit in college off of his tape. We know he can hit. It’s just a matter of putting everything together mentally.”
Up next
PRESEASON OPENER
vs. Titans, 7:30 Saturday, Raymond James Stadium TV/radio: WFLA-Ch. 8; 97.9-FM
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