Tampa Bay Buccaneers Unite for Florida: ‘Playing for Something Bigger’ After Hurricane Milton

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are spending much of this week in New Orleans, ahead of Sunday’s game against the New Orleans Saints, as Florida residents and Buccaneers fans feel the impact of Hurricane Milton battering the state, with players’ thoughts often returning to friends, family, and fans back home.

Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans says that this game, and the remainder of this season now carry significantly deeper meaning as the storm that made landfall as a Category 3 hurricane made an impact that the region will be feeling the effects of for the foreseeable future.

“We’re not even just playing for just football now. We’re trying to play for something a little bit bigger,” Evans said during a conference call with reporters.

The Buccaneers have had to rearrange their travel schedule before because of a hurricane barreling down on the region, with this season’s early trip to New Orleans marking the third time in seven years the team has been on the move early.

Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield says he will be playing Sunday’s game with thoughts on friends and family back home, hoping to give Tampa residents something to cheer about amid the turmoil caused by Mother Nature.

“This could be a sort of Sunday to give the people of Florida, especially around our area, some hope and something to look forward to watching,” Mayfield said. “You know, [I’m] not expecting anyone to really have power, but finding out in the days later.”