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New Orleans Saints troll Baker Mayfield after he says he'll be rooting for them in Week 18

Chandler Vesselsby: Chandler Vessels01/04/26ChandlerVessels

There’s no love lost in the NFC South rivalry between the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. However, Baker Mayfield is willing to put his hatred of the Saints aside for at least one day.

After the Buccaneers defeated the Carolina Panthers by a score of 16-14 on Saturday, they have the chance to win the division. However, it isn’t locked up just yet, as they need the Saints to win Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons in order for Tampa Bay to clinch the division title.

A fierce competitor, Mayfield isn’t typically one to cheer on his rivals even when they aren’t playing. But that will change Sunday.

“I am tomorrow,” Mayfield said postgame when asked if he would be cheering New Orleans on.

The comments from the Tampa Bay QB made their way around social media, catching the attention of the Saints social media team. They responded from the official account with some jokes.

“How the turns have tabled,” the Saints wrote on X.

Mayfield was asked again in his press conference about needing to rely on the Saints to win the division and get in the playoffs. But he also noted that a tie would get the job done, so perhaps that will be the outcome he’s rooting for.

“Yeah, I mean, a tie still gets us in, so they could still tie,” Mayfield said.

If the Saints win or two, Tampa Bay would claim the No. 4 seed and get to host a home playoff game. Kickoff between New Orleans and Atlanta is set for 1 p.m. ET on Sunday, and both Buccaneers and Panthers players will be tuning in intently.

Baker Mayfield, wife Emily announce new baby on the way

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield and his wife, Emily, will welcome a new baby next year. The couple went to social media in November to share the news with their daughter, Kova.

“New addition coming April 2026, and we couldn’t feel luckier,” Emily wrote in an Instagram post. Baker Mayfield and Emily first met in 2017 after being introduced by a mutual friend. The couple got engaged six months later and married in July 2019. Their daughter, Kova Jade Mayfield, was born in April 2024.

In October, ESPN interviewed Mayfield, and he talked about how Emily wasn’t impressed with Mayfield at first. “Patrick [Hayes], of course, being a good friend, asked her if I could have her number, and she said no,” Mayfield said, per the New York Post. “So, I went to Instagram, hit the follow button, no follow back. Hit the unfollow button, hit the follow again, no follow back. Tried to slide into the DMs, no response. At this point, feeling pretty rejected, and finally, you gave Patrick the OK I can get your number.”

On3’s Brian Jones contributed to this report.