Ever since Tom Brady retired, so many folks in the national media have been blowing taps for the Bucs as a relevant franchise has made Joe ill.

It’s like people can’t wait for the Bucs to suck. Every year it’s the same thing. Oh, Derek Carr will take over the NFC South. Oh, Kirk Cousins will lead the Dixie Chicks to the Super Bowl!

How did those brave and bold takes work out?

Now? It’s how Bryce Young will come into his own under the wise tutelage and foresight and professionalism of Dave Canales.

Same ol’ song and dance. Each and every year.

Well, friend of Ira, Judy Battista of NFL.com, has had enough of expecting the Bucs to implode. In typing a story of the most vulnerable defending division champions, Battista has the Bucs as the least-likely NFC division winner not to repeat as division champs in 2025.

Confession: Last May in this space, I listed the Bucs as the co-most vulnerable division champ. Every year, I make the mistake of thinking Tampa Bay is vulnerable just because the NFC South is so underwhelming. And every year for the past four, the Bucs have prevailed. Why might that change in 2025? Well, quarterback Michael Penix Jr. gave the Falcons a spark when he took over the job last season and he is the entrenched starter now. And Atlanta finally addressed its pass rush in the draft. Bryce Young looked greatly improved after his benching last season in Carolina and he has a pretty nice receiving corps now. The Saints are in for a post-Derek Carr reset, but the Falcons and Panthers could give the Bucs a real push in the division race. Still, Baker Mayfield is clearly the best quarterback of the group and he will have a stellar group of receivers. Continuity counts for plenty, and Tampa Bay has it. You don’t always have to be dominant to win your division, and the Bucs get the job done.

Well, here is the thing about the Dixie Chicks finally “fixing” their pass rush ills. That may happen next year. Joe finds it unlikely it will happen this year.

Rarely do rookie edge rushers dominate. It just doesn’t happen often at all. They are no longer going against children. They are facing grown-arse men. Big difference.

Oh sure, once in a while, a rookie beast will show up. You know, a guy with the last name “Bosa.” By far, however, the norm is rookie edge rushers need a learning curve before balling out in the NFL.

So if folks think the Dixie Chicks drafting edge rushers means they will compete for the division this season, slow down. History tells us that’s not likely to occur.

Joe would not be surprised if the Stinking Panthers pushed the Bucs this year. Just looking on paper, Joe has no idea how folks think the Bucs won’t win the division.