In his win over the New York Jets on Sunday, Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield embodied the best lesson about getting revenge: it is always a dish best served ice cold.

Mayfield and the Buccaneers pulled off a nail-biter against the Jets in the fourth quarter, with a 36-yard field goal sealing a 29-27 sealing their victory. But for Mayfield, the win was deeply personal, due to Steve Wilks, the former head coach of the Carolina Panthers, who is now the defensive coordinator for the Jets. (Subscribe to MR. RIGHT, a free weekly newsletter about modern masculinity)

“I loved it,” Mayfield said during a post-game press conference. “Also, their (defensive coordinator) was the one who cut me in Carolina. So, a lot of stuff was personal today. Haason Reddick, former Jet – a lot of people.”

#Bucs QB Baker Mayfield on beating the Jets:

“Their D-coordinator (Steve Wilks) was the one who cut me in Carolina. A lot of stuff was personal today. Haason Reddick. Former Jet. A lot of people.” https://t.co/8bkVUhUtyq pic.twitter.com/iqYdPSduhJ

— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) September 21, 2025

Back in 2022, Wilks cut Mayfield as the Panthers top quarterback halfway through the season. Mayfield went on to join the Los Angeles Rams before settling in Tampa Bay in 2023, where he replaced the inimitable GOAT Tom Brady after his retirement.

Mayfield could have easily trash talked Wilks and the Jets ahead of the game Sunday, or simply alluded to the fact that the contest would be deeply personal to him.

Rather than getting heated beforehand, he stayed quiet and focused, and only when he led his team to a sweet victory did he mention the fact that he harbored beef with Wilks and the Jets.

And there’s a lesson in that for all of us: when you want to get revenge on someone who genuinely wronged you, be a quiet savage. Dish it out cold, as Mayfield did against the Jets. It would have been less effective and satisfying for Mayfield had he been full of hot air leading up to the game, only to lose when it really mattered.