Baker Mayfield was mic’d up for the Buccaneers’ electric 29-27 win over the New York Jets in their home opener.
As a result, his perfect reaction to Jamel Dean’s pick-six right before halftime was captured and broadcast to the world.
“He caught it! He caught the ball,” Mayfield shouted. “Dean! Dean! You caught it!”
Dean has long struggled to finish plays with interceptions. Breaking up passes has never been an issue, but securing the football has been another story. Perhaps that's why he plays defensive back.
Mayfield’s reaction made it clear that Dean’s hands, or lack thereof, have become an inside joke in Tampa Bay’s locker room.
The touchdown marked the Bucs’ first pick-six in two seasons. The last came in 2023, when Shaquil Barrett intercepted Justin Fields and returned it for a score against the Chicago Bears. For Dean, it was his first since 2020, when he picked off Aaron Rodgers to spark a comeback en route to a dominant Buccaneers win.
Jamel Dean has quietly been one of the NFL's best cornerbacks in 2025
Dean catches a lot of flak from Buccaneers fans due to his extensive injury history and propensity for blown coverages at times. The front office has seemingly grown frustrated over the years as well -- restructuring Dean's contract prior to this season, resulting in a massive pay cut and a year removed from the end of his deal, sending him to free agency after this season.
Dean has responded to the adversity like a true professional and performed at a high level in what is likely his final season in red and pewter. He was the Buccaneers' highest-graded player in Week 3, earning an elite 92.2 overall grade.
PFF has a metric called the "Lockdown Percentage," which measures the rate at which defenders prevent separation in coverage. So far through three weeks, Dean has been extremely sticky in coverage with a 77.1% lockdown percentage, beating out Sauce Gardner for the best in the NFL.
If Dean continues this level of play for the rest of the season, he could make the Buccaneers regret sending him to free agency a year early and set himself up for a big payday elsewhere. He’s clearly playing with a chip on his shoulder, and Tampa Bay is reaping the benefits.
If he can stay healthy and maintain his status as one of the league’s top coverage cornerbacks, the ceiling for Todd Bowles’ defense rises significantly. That would be a massive boost for a Buccaneers team looking to build on its first 3-0 start since 2005 and chase another Super Bowl title.
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