Hurricane Milton is moving toward the Sarasota area, south of Tampa Bay, with an expected landfall between 9-10 p.m. ET. The powerful Category 3 storm has sustained winds of 120 mph.
The Buccaneers are safe in New Orleans.
They practiced at Tulane University on Wednesday and held meetings before joining their families and pets at the team hotel.
“I think, overall, everything went smoothly,” coach Todd Bowles said, via Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “We got the team out. We got their families out. We got their pets out and everything else. You now, family is the most important thing right now. You can replace material things, and you want everybody to be OK and you hope everybody evacuated if not hunkered down safely.”
The Bucs chartered two planes to New Orleans and secured another 200 hotel rooms in Gainesville and Orlando for others in the organization.
“A lot of prayer,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “It’s out of our control. I mean, you can do whatever you need to, to try and prep your house or your home, wherever you’re at. Other than that, there’s nothing you really can do. This thing is coming for Florida, and it’s just safety first and getting everybody out and hopefully everybody listens to the mandatory evacuation.
“So, compartmentalizing one step at a time of the preparation part when it comes to the storm. And then, you know, once we’re out of there, realizing this could be the sort of Sunday to give the people of Florida and especially in our area some hope, something to look forward to watching.”
The Bucs play the Saints on Sunday, so they will spend the week in New Orleans.