East Rutherford, NJ -- November 24, 2024 -- Baker Mayfield makes this pass to Mike Evans of Tampa Bay in the first half as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came to MetLife Stadium to play the New York Giants. Chris Pedota, NorthJersey.com / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Buccaneers make announcement including Baker Mayfield, Mike Evans

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By Caleb Skinner | Last updated Sep 3, 2025 4:00 PM ET

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 2025 season is set to kick off this week when they head to Atlanta to take on their NFC South foes, the Falcons.

There has been much to make of this offseason for the Bucs, but ahead of Sunday's matchup at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the team officially announced its captains for the upcoming season: linebacker Lavonte David, defensive lineman Vita Vea, safety Antoine Winfield Jr., quarterback Baker Mayfield , wide receiver Mike Evans and left tackle Tristan Wirfs.

Your 2025 captains

Lavonte David, Mike Evans and Baker Mayfield will each don the gold "C" patch for being named a captain at least 5 times in their career pic.twitter.com/kafCO4yfSB
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) September 3, 2025

Buccaneers captains in place

While any honor to wear the 'C' across the chest as a captain, Evans, David and Mayfield will don a gold 'C' this season, symbolizing their 5+ years of leadership as captains of their respective teams.

It should come as no surprise who was named captain for the Bucs in 2025. Mayfield has solidified himself as a true leader at the quarterback position. Evans will go down as one of the best wide receivers in NFL history while likely playing his entire career in Tampa Bay. Wirfs may be young, but he has been a staple along the offensive line with All-Pro honors from both tackle positions.

David will go down as one of the best linebackers to play the game, and while he might not be as appreciated as he should be, the Bucs' front office continues to mold their roster with him in mind. Vita Vea has been a force up the middle along the defensive line and continues to wreak havoc in the run game while developing into a great pass rusher. Winfield Jr. is part of the young core the Bucs are planning to build around, and his natural instincts for creating game-changing plays allow his play to speak for itself.

All six guys have played a pivotal role in getting the Buccaneers to this point, and they will once again be relied heavily upon to lead this team through a gauntlet regular season and to the playoffs with the goal of reaching and winning Super Bowl LX.