Does Zyon McCollom Have A Big Game In Him?
November 23rd, 2025
Joe is very quietly getting bitter about the play of cornerback Zyon McCollum.
McCollum, 26, was handed a handsome contract extension/restructure over the summer, while fellow starting corner Jamel Dean got squeezed into a major pay cut. Joe understood the Bucs’ vision, reasoning and tactics, but McCollum hasn’t delivered.
McCollum is not a lockdown cornerback and has no interceptions and just four passes defenses this season; he had 17 last year.
The fourth-year corner has all the physical tools and what seems to be a great attitude. Perhaps he’s hit his ceiling? Joe hopes that’s not the case.
Last week, Todd Bowles described McCollum’s recent play as “average.” That’s nowhere near good enough.
The Bucs need an additional two or three guys on defense to step up tonight to have a shot at beating the Rams. Joe would put McCollum on that list, especially considering the Rams have stud receivers Puka Nacua and Davante Adams.
Joe realizes teams seemingly have targeted McCollum less often this year, but Joe doesn’t suspect that will be the case tonight. There will be plays for McCollum to make (for a change).
Despite the new contract, Joe thinks McCollum has a lot to prove during the remainder of this season. If he can’t rise up, Joe thinks the Bucs should at least consider trading him in the offseason, especially if rookies Jacob Parrish and Benjamin Morrison look good come January.
November 23rd, 2025 at 8:28 am
Won’t have a chance if 21 plays outside.
This is another rush to sign my guy by JL. 16 mil is a good amount for a corner. I like ZM, but I was surprised by the rush to sign him. If he left, we have 16 mil to work with next year.
I felt ZM is a streaky player. This year he’s not the same. Looks like he’s coasting..
November 23rd, 2025 at 8:33 am
Another swing and a miss by Licht.
November 23rd, 2025 at 8:36 am
If guys are getting “bored” during a game or show a lack of hustle then they need to be shown the door. We need tough, instinctive football players on defense, not brainiacs that get bored like they’re playing a chess game.
November 23rd, 2025 at 8:39 am
Signed him too fast and he hasn’t shown anything this year
November 23rd, 2025 at 8:45 am
I get the reasoning for signing players before their contract comes to end to save money before they command a kings ransom….sometimes it backfires
November 23rd, 2025 at 8:46 am
McCollum has shown his lack of willingness to tackle RBs. He’s had multiple opportunities to step up and make a tackle but continuously shies away. Look at the Lions, Pats and Bills games as examples if you think I’m just bashing him. Maybe he’s playing injured but that excuse is getting old with this team in general.
On the pass defense side, why would QBs target him when the likes of Nelson & Diaby are trying to cover RBs & WRs
November 23rd, 2025 at 8:53 am
He’s also looked a step slow this year too. His athleticism ain’t even showing up this season.
November 23rd, 2025 at 9:01 am
17 pass deflections to 4 this year. Thats a perfect example of what’s wrong with this team. We have way too many Zions and not enough Tykee’s.
November 23rd, 2025 at 9:03 am
Does the head coach has a great game in him?
November 23rd, 2025 at 9:08 am
so how does it work in the bucland secondary…?
a player balls out……kinda…
gets the big contract…
then never balls out again…?
i can think of 4 people now, right off the bat, in the past few years, that it seems to be the case…
get paid, then chill…lol…it’s a heck of a philosophy
November 23rd, 2025 at 9:31 am
Another player that gets a big contract and then slacks off
November 23rd, 2025 at 9:46 am
It’s the same answer every time.
Lack of a pass rush kills our pass defense.
Cornerbacks get interceptions from QBs who are being rushed and harassed.
Any NFL QB can throw extremely accurate passes, if he has time to set up and throw.
You can’t even begin to discuss secondary problems- when they are placed in an impossible position.
NOONE can cover an NFL wide receiver for more than a few seconds.
November 23rd, 2025 at 9:46 am
“Does Zyon McCollom Have A Big Game In Him?” NO. He’s often out of position and gets lazy at times. Next article…
November 23rd, 2025 at 9:55 am
Come on Bucs. Shock the hell out of the 90% who think you have no chance at all of winning tonight…including me. Make me a liar.
November 23rd, 2025 at 9:56 am
Zyon is soft. The Bucs should bring in another CB during the off-season to push him.
November 23rd, 2025 at 10:00 am
Big game? Maybe. Bounce back game? McCollum better get back on track and stop the under-achieving.
November 23rd, 2025 at 10:02 am
All roads point to a lack of a bonafide edge rush attack. If the edge rush is toothless, then the CBs and secondary look worse. The edge rush is essential to life in today’s nfl.
November 23rd, 2025 at 10:03 am
I’ll reserve my judgement for when we have at least league-average edge rushers. Right now, we don’t even have that.
November 23rd, 2025 at 10:05 am
I am not sure why he is not playing. Has he hit his ceiling, perhaps. However, like many of the aledged play makers on defense , he is not making plays. It is that simple. Are we going to see something different tonight from him and this defense than the last two games? I am doubting it. I think the defense needs a serious overhaul. At this point I would keep Dean and let McCollum go, .
November 23rd, 2025 at 10:20 am
Zion got paid and he got soft. Dude is not balling out like he did last year and therefore trading him will not get as much as some might expect. Given his contract, I would be happy if the Bucs got what they got for Carlton Davis, a late day 2 pick.
November 23rd, 2025 at 10:41 am
Again, Todd is responsible for the way he’s playing this year.
November 23rd, 2025 at 10:49 am
McCollum‘s technique is terrible. Most of the time he doesn’t even know where the ball is.
You would think a former defensive back turned head coach would do a better job of teaching. Adam’s and Nacua gonna go ahead and finish earning their incentives by week 12.
November 23rd, 2025 at 10:59 am
Did anyone notice he can use his broken hand
He can’t even hold people
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:06 am
48 Million???????????????
What a horrible misuse of dollars.
Even worse than 14 Million on Reddick if that is possible,
Still waiting for the Jason Licht Confidence poll Joe???????
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:30 am
Oldbucsfan … ‘Todd is responsible for the way he’s playing this year.’
If you were UNDERPERFORMING making $16 mil a year, would you really blame your boss for your poor performance?
I have zero idea what’s really going on with McCollum, but his stats this year are markedly worse than what he put out there last season, and even the season before. My gut tells me that the REAL problem we’re experiencing lies in the totality of the poor performances of our 2 ILBs & our Secondary. They’re not playing well as a SINGLE UNIT, and the consequence is that they’re constantly getting burned all ove the place.
Tykee Smith is having a banner year, and so is Jacob Parrish. So was Jamel Dean before he got hurt. Beyond those 3, we’ve got a group of JAGs.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:40 am
He sucks.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:48 am
I still believe in him and still think he is the best CB on the team. The issue is we have zero pass rush. It’s hard for these CB to hold up in coverage when the opposing quarterback has all day to throw.
November 23rd, 2025 at 12:10 pm
This would be a good game to bench him and send a message.
November 23rd, 2025 at 12:15 pm
All that said, Zyon STILL tracks in the top half of the league in CB’s
November 23rd, 2025 at 12:18 pm
Afraid to tackle!!! Go Bucs!!
November 23rd, 2025 at 12:21 pm
He is above average, but lives on an island and doesn’t get much help from the safeties or LBs in coverage. Additionally, I think if the HC is an idiot and the d line cant get any pressure on the QB, there is no way Zyon will have decent PFF numbers. The defense as a whole unit is pretty pathetic, but Zyon is the least of their problems.
November 23rd, 2025 at 12:23 pm
Puka about to make sideshow Bob look like Ralph wigum
November 23rd, 2025 at 12:25 pm
can you imagine what Puka or davante Adams is gonna do to this kid! Hope I am way wrong, well we will see.
November 23rd, 2025 at 12:50 pm
Joe is right if he is tradable, good riddance. Just like Winfield, these Buc draft picks seem to slack after they are resigned after rookie contracts. There is an atmosphere at One Buc that players aren’t held accountable for shying away from contact and not getting better after good rookie seasons followed by improvement.
Then the guaranteed millions come out of payroll and these players become average rated or worse at their positions.
Happens on other teams. Packers are average with Parsons and now they aren’t have given Dallas a whole bunch of draft picks. Jordan Love is playing well below his status.
November 23rd, 2025 at 1:33 pm
The corners are going to look bad, especially without a threatening pass rush. It’s the hardest position to excel in, made even worse if the QB has all day.
November 23rd, 2025 at 1:37 pm
I suspect Zyon has been playing hurt, maybe more the the Bucs let on.
November 23rd, 2025 at 1:40 pm
Joe? Bitter?……Say it ain’t so!
November 23rd, 2025 at 2:00 pm
Jugheadfla1 Says:
November 23rd, 2025 at 12:23 pm
Puka about to make sideshow Bob look like Ralph wigum
——
Nicely done sir. Lol
November 23rd, 2025 at 2:07 pm
See Jameis’s first TD pass today?
This ain’t about Jameis being a good, great or horrible QB, but it is about play calling. Think Bucs would EVER attempt something so risky?
That Q was rhetorical, but it shouldn’t be. Bowles defines conservatism!
Zyon having a big game? Gonna take far more than that to beat the Rams today.
If that happens, however, it could be a season changer.
November 23rd, 2025 at 2:09 pm
Don’t put the game on Zyon, the entire defense sucks and the DC is a total moron. Keep Zyon, Dump Bowles.
November 23rd, 2025 at 2:11 pm
I expect players regressing with this coaching staff. A staff hired for its loyalty and ability to work for cheap. Nothing changes until Jason and Todd are fired. Why would it? Lose to equal or better teams, crap out first playoff game, win enough to keep selling tickets, that’s the Bucs mantra from ownership. Mumble excuses is the Todd method to madness. Expect bloodbath tonight.
November 23rd, 2025 at 2:41 pm
Zion is the 22nd highest paid cornerback in the league (avg/year). Pff has him ranked as the 23rd rated cornerback right now. I don’t know why yall are complaining so much about him not being worth his contract and saying he sucks. He’s being paid as a decent/ok cornerback and is playing like a decent/ok cornerback.
November 23rd, 2025 at 2:50 pm
The Rams could rest half their starters and still beat us 35-10 today. Gonna get ugly early.
November 23rd, 2025 at 2:57 pm
like i’ve been saying all along, zyons’s not that good.
November 23rd, 2025 at 3:59 pm
Embarrassing.
Honestly it’s the team against the world, including 75% of the JBF crowd, now.
I would have told any player (especially the young guys) to avoid this site like the plague before but maybe they should all come read the criticism and judgement that define this place….. They’d inevitably resent/hate their “fans” more but might be able to use that as extra motivation.
I’d love to see, after a big win, some of our players tell the truth and say thanks for nothing to the so called fans who disrespect them individually and as a team.
November 23rd, 2025 at 4:39 pm
Dean is out, so it means Bowles will sit back in his super soft trash zone defense and Stafford is going to pass for 400+ yards and at least 4 TDs. Zyon isn’t going to do jack because Bowles is going to tell him to stand 15 yards off the line of scrimmage on every play, then run backwards at the snap, and idiots in the comments will yell and scream about wanting him cut because he refuses to line up closer, as if he’s the one choosing what depth he plays at.
November 23rd, 2025 at 4:46 pm
We play far too much off zone coverage and Zyon is constantly trying to make up space / he gets his eyes lost in the backfield and doesn’t read his zone well
His skillset is better suited to tight man or zone under coverage to take advantage of his speed
Todd doesn’t play man nearly enough because he has to blitz to get any pressure
November 23rd, 2025 at 5:28 pm
Still worried about DB play instead of where the real problem lies which is the front 7. Give me a break.
November 23rd, 2025 at 6:17 pm
Quietly worried? Why?
He sucks out loud.
Insanely overpaid for one single halfway decent season.
November 23rd, 2025 at 6:24 pm
Sorry to have offended you Gator.
Bucs 48 Rams 3
Go Bucs!
I guess expecting better from your team is a bad thing.
November 23rd, 2025 at 7:07 pm
Can Bowles put him in positions to succeed? Probably not.
November 23rd, 2025 at 8:44 pm
NO!
November 23rd, 2025 at 10:23 pm
He sucks
November 23rd, 2025 at 10:58 pm
HahahahaHAH. LAUGHABLE. LoL.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:06 pm
And, THAT is exactly what HE DID, Rod Munch. Too Easy. Though, I don’t know who’s decision it is to play that far off… Seems-like, when this was such an issue LAST season as well, Todd came out and said that it was HIS choice, when referring to Dean. Regardless, they just CAN’T ‘allow’ these guys a free-release like THAT, or they have absolutely NO CHANCE. They HAVE TO jam ‘em. Have To. And, soooo concerned with ONLY the run LMAOOOOO. It’s friggin’ STAFFORD, Davonte MF’in ADAMS, and GD PUKA!? GEEEEEEZE!!!! And, YOU are still OBSESSED with the RUNNNN… REALLYYYYY!? It’s stupidity. He only knows just ONE-WAY, amd is too damned STOBBORN to adjust, at all. It’s INSANITY.
November 23rd, 2025 at 11:21 pm
Nope!
November 24th, 2025 at 12:03 am
LMAO
November 24th, 2025 at 12:33 pm
MelvinJunior – yep, that’s what Bowles always does.
Although, in fairness, on the two TDs it was man-to-man with no help, but Adams is basically the same as Evans, and if Evans is one-on-one, he’s open.
The TD from the 1, I don’t really count, you’re not stopping that play – it comes to putting on so much pressure it causes a bad throw.
On the longer TD, Todd played man – but then didn’t send pressure, so Stafford had a very easy pass to make – and just like with Evans, if Adams is one-on-one, he’s open, and he was.