The pirate ship in the north end zone of Raymond James Stadium has been oddly quiet lately. No cannons. No celebratory smoke. Just the humid Florida air and a lot of questions. Honestly, being a fan of Tampa Bay Bucs football right now feels like being stuck in a Two-Minute Drill where the play clock is broken and nobody knows who’s supposed to be under center next year.
We just watched an 8-9 season slip through the cracks. It was weird, right? One minute Baker Mayfield looks like an MVP candidate leading a 6-2 charge, and the next, the wheels aren't just coming off—they're flying into the stands. Losing seven of the final nine games is a gut punch that stays with you.
The Todd Bowles Dilemma and the Coaching Carousel
The Glazers decided to keep Todd Bowles for 2026. Whether you love that or hate it, it’s the reality. He’s going into his fifth year, but the building is going through a massive facelift.
You’ve seen the news: the staff is being gutted. We lost Mike Caldwell and several others. Even Tom Moore, the absolute legend who’s been coaching since the Earth’s crust was cooling, finally called it a career. That’s a lot of institutional knowledge walking out the door.
The biggest storyline right now? The hunt for a new Offensive Coordinator. Mike McDaniel just visited the facility. Yeah, that Mike McDaniel. The guy who turns track stars into touchdown machines. Imagine his "fast-motion" scheme with the weapons we actually have. It’s a fascinating thought, especially since the team also sat down with Todd Monken, a familiar face who knows how to dial up a deep ball.
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What Actually Happened with Baker Mayfield?
People keep asking what went wrong. Baker didn’t suddenly forget how to play. He finished 2025 with 3,693 yards and 26 touchdowns. Those aren't "bad" numbers.
The problem was the bridge collapsed around him. The offensive line was held together by athletic tape and prayer. Baker was running for his life, yet he still managed a career-high 382 rushing yards. He’s got that "moxie" everyone talks about, but moxie doesn't block a 300-pound defensive tackle.
There was that Week 5 game against Seattle where he went 29-of-33. Pure magic. But then the shoulder injury happened against the Rams, and the rhythm just died. By the time we hit the Week 18 win over Carolina, it felt more like a relief than a triumph. We won 16-14, but it wasn't enough to stop the Panthers from taking the NFC South crown on a tiebreaker. That's a sentence I didn't think I'd be writing a year ago.
The Young Guns and the Hall of Famer
Let’s talk about Mike Evans for a second.
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The man is a machine. He broke his collarbone in October, missed six games, and still came back to put up 1,004 yards. That’s 11 straight seasons. Eleven. He’s literally tying Jerry Rice’s records while playing through injuries that would sideline most humans for a year.
But it’s the new kids that have people excited for the future of Tampa Bay Bucs football.
- Emeka Egbuka: The rookie from Ohio State was a steal at pick 19. When Godwin and Evans were down, he stepped up. His performance against Seattle—7 catches for 163 yards—was the kind of stuff that makes you think we’ve found the next great Bucs receiver.
- Bucky Irving: This kid runs like he’s angry at the grass. He’s elusive. Even with a shoulder injury that cut into his 2025 carries, he forced missed tackles at one of the highest rates in the league.
- Graham Barton: Having a young center who actually looks like he belongs in the NFL is such a change of pace.
The Defense is a Puzzle
Antoine Winfield Jr. is still the heartbeat. He’s the only guy who seems to be everywhere at once. But the secondary was a revolving door. We drafted Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish to fix the cornerback issues, and while they showed flashes, they got cooked by veteran QBs late in the season.
Vita Vea is still the mountain in the middle, but the pass rush outside of Yaya Diaby felt inconsistent. Bringing in Haason Reddick was a big swing, and while he had his moments, the unit as a whole didn't deliver the "dead zone" defense Bowles is known for.
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What Most People Get Wrong About This Team
Everyone says the "Brady Window" is closed and we’re just drifting. Honestly, I think that’s lazy.
The Bucs have made the playoffs in four of the last five seasons. Even in a "down" 8-9 year, they were one Falcons-Saints result away from another division title. This isn't a rebuilding team; it's a "retooling" team that has a massive identity crisis. They want to be a defensive powerhouse, but the offense is where the talent is.
Actionable Steps for the 2026 Offseason
If the Bucs want to actually compete and not just "hang around" the NFC South, here is what needs to happen immediately:
- Seal the OC Deal: Whether it's Mike McDaniel or Todd Monken, they need a play-caller who doesn't abandon the run the second things get tough. Bucky Irving and Rachaad White are too good to be ignored for three quarters.
- Protect the Investment: Baker Mayfield is the guy for now. But you can't keep asking him to lead the league in "yards after contact" as a quarterback. They need a veteran guard in free agency to solidify the interior.
- Find a "Robin" for Yaya: Diaby needs help on the edge. Relying on 30-year-old rentals isn't a long-term plan. They need to use their early 2026 draft capital on a twitchy pass rusher.
- Special Teams Overhaul: Hiring Craig Aukerman or Danny Smith is a start. The special teams units were a disaster last year, and in a division won by tiebreakers, those "hidden yards" are everything.
The 2026 season is going to define the Jason Licht/Todd Bowles era. There's enough talent to win 11 games, but there's enough instability to lose 10. For the Krewe, it's going to be a long, loud summer in Tampa.