Wild moment Bucs rookie thought crowd's MVP chants were for him... before brutal reality check from teammates

No, Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie Tez Johnson, those 'MVP' chants weren't meant for you.

Sideline video from the Bucs' win over the visiting San Francisco 49ers has surfaced since Sunday's game, showing the 23-year-old receiver discussing the chants with teammates.

After celebrating his first career touchdown catch with a flip in the end zone, Johnson is seen talking with fellow Bucs receiver Sterling Shepard, who had to inform the seventh-round pick the fans were referring to quarterback Baker Mayfield.

'Baker Mayfield threw you the ball,' Shepard told Johnson, who was laughing too hard to be embarrassed.

'I was like: "I didn't do nothing,"' the cackling Johnson told his veteran teammates in the viral clip.

Johnson also owned up to the exchange with reporters.

'I'm going to tell you a funny story, this is crazy,' the Oregon product told media. 'When I scored, and I heard "MVP" chants, I'm thinking they talking about me.'

Johnson, who has just six catches across five games, was naturally confused.

'I was like: "I ain't do nothing this year,'" Johnson continued. 'He was like: "They talking about Baker, Tez."'

'I was like: "Welp, that explains it."'

Like Bucs fans, Johnson also agreed that Mayfield is MVP. And they weren't alone.

The 30-year-old Heisman Trophy winner emerged as a frontrunner Sunday after leading the Bucs to a 30-19 win.

'If I was this crowd, I'd be chanting "MVP" right now,' ex-Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo said on the CBS broadcast in response to the fan chants.

'Right now, he's got to be the frontrunner for MVP in the league,' retired Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan told his co-hosts on CBS after the game. 'With all the guys that are out, with the way he's playing, he's absolutely outstanding.'

The absences Ryan referred to include receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka, the latter of whom hurt his hamstring in Sunday's win, not to mention starting running back Bucky Irving.

Despite this, Mayfield still completed 17 of 23 passes for 256 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

And it wasn't just Bucs fans and Ryan with the 'MVP' talk. NBC's Chris Simms, an ex-Bucs quarterback himself, and former NFL backup Chase Daniel also described Mayfield as a strong MVP contender on Sunday.

'Baker Mayfield is the unquestioned early season MVP candidate,' Daniel wrote on X.

He's among the league leaders in passing yards (1,283) and touchdown passes (10), while throwing just a single interception.

It's a remarkable turnaround for a player who was famously jettisoned to Carolina when Cleveland acquired Deshaun Watson in 2022.

Then, with Carolina just 1-5 that season, Mayfield was granted his release.

He'd later sign with the Los Angeles Rams, filling a backup role, before replacing the retired Tom Brady in Tampa the following season.

Meanwhile, the 1-5 Browns and 3-3 Panthers have both struggled to find quarterbacks, although Bryce Young had a solid three-touchdown effort in Sunday's win over the Dallas Cowboys in Charlotte.