TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are no strangers to mantras.
Coming off their Super Bowl LV win in 2020, former head coach Bruce Arians made his team play with the "no risk it, no biscuit" mantra.
Trey Palmer has his own mantra as well – "no name, no face."
“It means I don’t care who you [are], what your name is, we’re all just playing ball at the end of the day and I’m just making a play and competing," the Bucs rookie wide receiver said after Wednesday's training camp. "My coach had always told me that since I was a freshman in college, so it always stuck with me. That’s what I go by now.”
To have that sort of nickname, it needs to be backed up.
Palmer has done exactly that in training camp and the two preseason games he has played so far.
With Russell Gage out for the season, the former Nebraska playmaker has made a strong bid for the No. 3 wide receiver role on the team. Despite being a sixth-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, Palmer seems to be leading the race for that spot.
He's one of three players in preseason action across the league to score two touchdowns in two games, logging five receptions for 66 yards.
Away from gameday, the 22-year-old has also been making plays in training camp.
During the Bucs' joint practice with the New York Jets last week, a viral clip showed Palmer using his speed to beat star cornerback Sauce Gardner, a move that he made look easy.
“Before the play, me and the receivers were [saying], ‘Whoever gets the ball, go score.’ I was blessed that it came to me and I made the play. I saw [the] ball, I got [the] ball,” he said.
Tampa Bay traded a future fifth-round pick for Palmer and it's shaping up to be one of the biggest bargains in the draft.
Palmer feels no pressure when he gets dressed in a Bucs uniform.
“It happens naturally. I work on it at practice and get extra [work] after practice, catching jugs and stuff like that. When I see the ball, I just see the ball – there’s nothing around, I just see the ball – tunnel vision,” Palmer said. "I’m just trying to keep the train rolling and really just work on my footwork and get more into the playbook and really just learn the playbook from inside out so I can just move around to different positions and help the team win.”
With Baker Mayfield announced as the starter last week, fans should get excited for moments of him slinging the ball downfield for Palmer.
But the rookie admitted he's still working on syncing up with Mayfield.
"We’re still just working on our timing and our connections," he said. "We’re all just working together and really just trying to help the team win. We’re just competing at practice and really just getting better and better each and every day."
Palmer is expected to make the team's 53-man roster and get more action in this weekend's home preseason finale against the Baltimore Ravens. Kickoff is scheduled at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 26. For ticket information, click here.
Tampa Bay's season opener against the Minnesota Vikings can be seen on 10 Tampa Bay. To see the team's full schedule, click here.