Overview
- Reports from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero and ESPN’s Pete Thamel on Feb. 3–4 confirmed Whitmer accepted Tampa Bay’s quarterbacks coach job.
- Whitmer will work with starter Baker Mayfield after the Buccaneers moved on from quarterbacks coach Thaddeus Lewis following a dip in Mayfield’s 2025 production.
- He chose Tampa Bay after receiving multiple NFL offers and being linked in late January to the Raiders, who have evaluated Mendoza as a top draft prospect.
- Whitmer reunites with offensive coordinator Zac Robinson, with whom he worked in Atlanta in 2024, and brings prior NFL experience from three seasons with the Chargers.
- Indiana must replace Whitmer for a second straight offseason as Mendoza heads to the 2026 NFL Draft after a Heisman-winning, undefeated championship season.