Last week the Buccaneers dedicated their win over the New Orleans Saints to the Tampa Bay community that is reeling from the effects of two devastating hurricanes. In less than a month, the Tampa Bay area and its surroundings have been left ravaged by Hurricanes Milton and Helene. There is been an immense loss of life and property and the Bucs community, owners, and players both former and current have stepped up the relief efforts.

Two of the deadliest and costliest hurricanes in American history have left at least 280 people dead as of last Thursday, with the damages from each hurricane expected to cross $50 billion. In the wake of this destruction and loss, the Glazers, who own the Buccaneers, announced a donation of $1 million on October 16, to “support local nonprofit organizations aiding those most impacted by Hurricane Milton.” This comes after they donated $1 million earlier to help those affected by Hurricane Helene in late September.

A statement from the Glazer family read, “The Tampa Bay region has experienced traumatic hardships caused by recent Hurricanes Milton and Helene and at times such as these, our community comes together to provide the support and resources that are desperately needed.” Following these donations, Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield shared a Tampa Bay Times news article on IG, which guided his followers on, “How to help Tampa Bay residents, small businesses affected by Milton, Helene.” The 29-year-old also had a message for the people of Tampa.

Mayfield wrote “Tampa Strong” on his Instagram story. Hurricane Milton hit landfall on October 9 brining torrential rain and heavy winds causing even more damage around the area. Earlier Mayfield too teamed up with Atlanta QB Kirk Cousins to contribute $50,000 each to Team Rubicon, a veteran-led non-profit organization on October 3, to help the communities affected by Hurricane Melene in the Southeast. Mayfield also urged people to come forward to help Tea Rubicon in their efforts to help people.

Bucs coach Todd Bowles also showed his appreciation for the Glazers and their desire to help the community following the hurricanes. “They’ve been outstanding. You can see it, how they help out the community in all facets, whether it’s a hurricane or not. With Milton and Helene they’ve been doing an outstanding job of getting the team and their families and their pets everywhere, getting them out of town, and just helping out in the community overall.”

The damage from Hurricane Milton also included the tearing of the roof of Tropicana Field, the home of MLB side Tampa Bay Rays. As a result, the team will not be able to play their home games there when the 2025 MLB season begins.

Meanwhile, former Buccaneers quarterback and NFL icon Tom Brady also pledged to donate $100,000 to help those impacted by Hurricane Milton while his former teammates Mike Evans and Chris Goodwin made donations of $50k each.

Amidst the challenges faced by the Tampa community, their team put on quite the show against the Saints on Sunday with Mayfield leading the way. After the landslide win, Mayfield talked about what the game and the victory meant for the Bucs.

Baker Mayfield and his team’s victory came during the tough times

Baker Mayfield threw for 325 yards and four touchdowns as he led his team to a 51-27 win on Sunday against the Saints. But it wasn’t easy. Three second-quarter interceptions could have derailed them. Instead, they rallied together, representing the fighting spirit of the people of Tampa.

After the game, Mayfield spoke to the media, “I think today was just a team embodying and embracing everything that everybody’s going through. Ups and downs, trying to handle it the best way you can, fight through it and find a way to make it work. That’s life. Obviously a natural disaster is not easy to deal with — you find a way to make it work, you overcome and you come together. That’s what this group did today.”

With this, it was clear that the quarterback wasn’t just talking about football, but also about the well-being of Tampa Bay people and how they are trying to to overcome the hard times by sticking together. Coach Todd Bowles said the game gave people a brief escape, a chance to smile for a few hours amidst the devastation.

The Glazer family went above and beyond-evacuating 300 family members and pets to safety and have made significant donations to help out further. Our thoughts remain with the people of Tampa with the words of Mayfield echoing. Stay strong.