The Poison In The Locker Room
December 18th, 2025
Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
Look, Joe has no idea how many bad apples are in the Bucs’ locker room. Joe has a few suspects, but that’s all it is.
And it is fair to say most if not all of the suspects are defensive players.
Consider that four times in the past six weeks, the starting quarterback, the star linebacker and the head coach (twice) unloaded on the team for slacking.
If there has to be a hollering session damn near every week for six weeks and the team is still losing, Joe thinks it is more than fair to suggest the Bucs have a locker room problem.
He Ain’t That Man.
Need more evidence of poison potentially festering in the locker room like the MRSA? Consider the Bucs signing Jason Pierre-Paul last week instead of pulling a guy off someone’s practice squad. The big reasons the Bucs turned to JPP? Character. Leadership. Professionalism.
Then yesterday, Bowles reinforced Joe’s belief.
The Bucs, you may have heard, are bringing back team legend Anthony Walker at linebacker, Lavonte David’s longtimer personal friend. Read carefully Todd Bowles’ reaction yesterday to Walker’s return.
“Well, when ‘Voss’ [SirVocea Dennis] got hurt, we felt like we needed another guy that already knew the system. He’s got veteran leadership, he’s a very good run defender, he understands pass concepts very well in the zone, and he’s been in the system. So, it was only smart to try to bring him back and see if we can use him.”
Notice the first attribute Bowles cited in Walker’s return? “Leadership.”
How much more evidence do you need that the Bucs have a locker room issue? They’re pulling back guys from the past not so much for their ability to play, but for their character, leadership and professionalism.
December 18th, 2025 at 4:02 am
Players playing like it’s a full on mutiny on defense! Captain has lost the crew, I do believe! 6-0 or the captain and crew walk the plank!
Go Bucs!
December 18th, 2025 at 4:27 am
joes, I think you may be overblowing the issue. the problem is no talent on defense especially in linebacker..and if some of the low talent starters begin to quit early, that’s not a cancer in locker room, its a localized problem that can be removed easy at seasons end.
December 18th, 2025 at 4:32 am
Then why doesn’t Bowles bench that person or people?? I mean the def can’t play any worse!!!
December 18th, 2025 at 5:18 am
Sad really. And that’s not at all Bowles fault. How do you have players and captains on every level of defense from our last Super Bowl and these guys can’t stay focused. Concerning when Licht’s whole model is drafting guys that ‘love ball”.
December 18th, 2025 at 5:19 am
Also, I’m gonna go on a limb and say it’s not Parrish and it’s not Tykee.
December 18th, 2025 at 5:37 am
I also think it’s a reach. They tout the I Am That Man-tra to include players who have been leaders/captains. Does that mean they are facing a crisis of locker room poison every time they put together a draft board or bring in someone for a workout?
I get it though—you have to write about something and the mini-bye has only given you so much! It’s the cards you’ve got!
December 18th, 2025 at 5:38 am
When the front 4 can’t get to the QB without help, the defense gets exposed. All Bowles blitz pkgs are predicated on disguise and dropping certain LB off the line into coverage. He changes it up all the time. That’s the complexities that the Defense has to execute 100% of the time OR they get gashed, which is what’s happening.
Then comes the finger pointing.
I don’t believe we all of a sudden developed bad apples or characters.
The D has lost confidence in the scheme.
Fix the front 4, you fix the problem.
December 18th, 2025 at 5:40 am
There’s 53 players on the active roster. You’re telling me that one or two guys are going to poison a locker room? I don’t buy it. IMHO, it’s the coaches that need to get the players fired up
Liam has his team motivated. Bowles lacks motivation. He comes out with a few cuss words because he knows his job is on the line.
December 18th, 2025 at 5:41 am
Reddick, AWJr, Zyon need to go asap
Also, Hall, Braswell, Dennis are horrible players and wasted picks – Kancey is also a bust that can’t stay on the field…
As good as we are at picking WR and OL, we are that bad picking defenders – or are these the players Todd said he wanted????
Either way our defense is pitiful in talent and coaching
December 18th, 2025 at 5:49 am
It’s like blaming the fire on everything except the match.
December 18th, 2025 at 5:55 am
I agree with Joe. Something has been off since the bye, and it could be a player in the locker room. One person can cause a lot of low morale and dysfunction on a team and you can’t remove them from the island, so your stuck. I guess follow the timeline. Plus, nothing was done at the time of trades by the November deadline.
Also, we don’t know how the conditions are. Is there something the team are not happy with? I wish we could see the latest NFL survey and the grades the players give each of their teams coaches, owners, facilities, food, trainers, travel, etc.
December 18th, 2025 at 6:01 am
If a reporter claims “malcontents are within a group” yet names nobody, quotes nobody and provides no documentation you have what some call ‘vape reporting,’ or insinuating without evidence.
The signing of JPP? Come on Joe, that’s not hard evidence. Some might call it desperation.
Basically, this is your story: MALCONTENTS WITHIN BUCS LOCKER ROOM ARE HURTING THIS TEAM, ESPECIALLY ON DEFENSE. BUT IM NOT GONNA TELL YOU WHO THEY ARE OR EVEN IF THEY TRULY EXIST.
Thought you were above that fray. I know, you’re playing to your audience, but not all of them. Who knows, perhaps I’m the only one who cares …
As for those players who are dragging ass, many teams have this issue with today’s athlete, but it’s up to the rest of team, and especially the coach to straighten them out or throw them out the door.
Answer: It’s Joe’s job to report on what he sees or hears. Joe has met that obligation with this story.
December 18th, 2025 at 6:03 am
bowles drafted all these guys or told licht he wanted them
December 18th, 2025 at 6:05 am
Joe I had been hearing locker room problems for the passed 3 weeks from the media and other sites like pewter plank, pewter report and so on. My question is, will the Bucs get rid of the bad apples and keep Bowles for one more season or will they get rid of both? Bowles is the chief commander here
December 18th, 2025 at 6:08 am
I really think AWJ is one of them!! At least his play indicates he’s not giving his 100%! Just a hunch…
December 18th, 2025 at 6:13 am
JA – Todd isn’t going to name names. However, we will know soon enough. Thinking maybe they though JPP could give them a boost in the locker room. Same for Teddy too. I think the real boost is having Mike back.
Oxycondomns – Jason is the GM. He can say no. Can’t blame only one person.
December 18th, 2025 at 6:27 am
Lord knows Todd isnt going to be showing any of that veteran leadership. He needs surrogates for that job.
This whole situation is garbage. Bowles basically recusing himself from the issue so he can cry foul later by brining in old players to play the father role in the locker room.
I do get it. It spun so far out of control that he has no choice now but to try to circle the wagons around this one excuse. If people are able to focus on the fact that his scheme is full of holes and his play calling sucks, then they’ll surely see that he’s a fraud.
December 18th, 2025 at 6:28 am
@VOT,
Unless you’re in the locker room, you don’t know what is really going on. But even if you’re correct about who the bad apples are, getting them off the team isn’t that simple when they have a Brinks truck full of guaranteed money coming to them.
December 18th, 2025 at 6:31 am
Joe my question is, will the Bucs clean out these bad apples and give Bowles 1 more year or will they get rid of both? I mean Bowles is the Chief Commander
December 18th, 2025 at 6:38 am
They beat Carolina Sunday or you can mail in the rest of the season. This teams fragility will never survive a 3rd straight loss to a division opponent then miraculously win the last 2. Not gonna happen. If there are players semi checked out then losing to Carolina Sunday will be the final straw.
Todd you’re auditioning for your job on Sunday. Either correct this garbage defense in short order or your gone. Pretty much as simple s hat.
December 18th, 2025 at 6:56 am
Has anyone else besides me noticed the almost total lack of BIG PLAYS by our defense this year? It’s been like everyone on this defense is waiting for someone else to rise up & do something (?), ANYTHING. But they rarely do for some reason.
The opportunity to make BIG PLAYS is always there, but this year’s group just seems to constantly swing & miss. Example: explosive TD runs over 20 yds. Back in 2023 the Bucs allowed ZERO. In 2024 Bucs allowed ZERO. In 2025 Bucs have already allowed FIVE explosive TD runs of over 20 yds. It’s NOT 1 player who’s missing a tackle & allowing that TD run to occur; it’s always several guys who don’t make the BIG PLAY to stop those runs.
Another example: explosive TD passes over 20 yds. Back in 2023 the Bucs allowed 11 TD passes of 20 yds or more. In 2024 Bucs cut that down to 8 TD passes of 20 yds or more. But in 2025 Bucs have already allowed 9 explosive TD passes of 20 yds or more in our first 14 games. Again, it’s NOT 1 player who’s blowing a coverage & allowing those TD catches to occur; it’s guys not playing together as a team.
Where our defense has made some BIG PLAYS is in the turnover department. Bucs have won the Turnover Battle 7 times this season, and our record is 5-2 in those games. We’ve lost the Turnover Battle only twice, and our record is 0-2 in those games. We’ve tied in the Turnover Battle 5 times, and our record is 2-3 in those games.
But there’s no place that the LACK of BIG PLAYS is more noticeable this year than in the Red Zone. Opponents have made it into our Red Zone 36 times this season, and scored TDs on 26 of those. That’s a Red Zone TD Percentage of an astonishing 72.2% for our first 14 games. They started keeping that stat in 1999; only ONCE have the Bucs exceeded that 72% … in 2018 under Mike Smith as our DC when it hit 77% (ranked dead last in the NFL of course). For the record, Mike Smith got relieved of his DC duties during the latter part of the season and replaced by Mark Dufner.
For the Bucs to allow opponents to score TDs on over 72% of their visits in our Red Zone is unheard of for any Bucs teams. Our bread-and-butter has always been ‘Bend-But-Don’t-Break’. Well, guess what, we not only bent, but we broke. And crapped the bed in the process. Time to change the sheets.
December 18th, 2025 at 7:00 am
I’m not sure it’s as easy as throwing them out the door. Look at Tua in Miami. For the Phins to get rid of him would be a massive cap hit. To get rid of the Bucs malcontents would do likewise. It would seem that since the malcontents are all on the D, either the players take care of it or the coach does. With 3 games left, if that hasn’t happened by now, it won’t. Someone has to go and it will be the coach as there is no cap hit to him. Sure, he would receive the balance of his contract. That money comes from a different bucket. Several million from billions won’t be felt.
Who Licht and the Glazers select as their new coach best be in the mold of a Campbell, Vrabel, or McVay. No room for a rookie HC, only a successful, energetic, experienced HC. Good luck with that.
December 18th, 2025 at 7:10 am
We can extra[plate who they probably are. SVD, Reddick, and McCollum. Look who they brought in replacements for! They’ve also blown many plays each. Reddick may only be trying to pad his stats.
December 18th, 2025 at 7:22 am
It doesn’t help the cause when you bring in the likes of Hassan Reddick. He makes Debbie Downer look like a motivational speaker.
December 18th, 2025 at 7:31 am
Defense Rules – Agreed. Watching a few episodes of the Bucs documentary, it brought back memories of a bold defense. Warren Sapp for one.
December 18th, 2025 at 7:37 am
Spot on Joe! Not so sure “Voss” is all tha injured either BTW. Two birds with one stone?
Go Bucs!
December 18th, 2025 at 7:45 am
If we say these guys are injured they maintain their trade value.
December 18th, 2025 at 7:50 am
Wow – you would have thought Luke getting his 160# dumbbells was enough to fix the problem.
December 18th, 2025 at 7:53 am
It’s not a leadership issue, it’s a total lack of talent on the defense. We have promoted some pretty poor players to start and I blame both Bowles and Licht for believing their own hype about some of these players, especially rookies. The Bucs defense is garbage and has been for years. Coupled with a DC that refuses to change, there is no way this defense can stop even marginal teams from scoring. No matter the outcome this season both Bowles and Licht should be let go.
December 18th, 2025 at 7:58 am
That’s funny it’s not a couple players this whole defense isn’t buying in to what Todd is selling there isn’t any adjustments it’s a bad scheme that’s been figured out and is being exploited week to week.
December 18th, 2025 at 8:21 am
Haason Reddick
December 18th, 2025 at 8:41 am
Actually, it is the Bucs who are “overblowing” it, if they are overblowing it.
The Bucs have been *very* open about these hollering sessions from multiple people, and this is unusual in itself. Again, when is the last time you heard of players and a coach blasting the team four times in six weeks and the team is still losing? Joe cannot remember such a time.
Bowles has had rotten pass defenses before. Actually only once since he came to town have the Bucs had a decent pass defense. You may have heard of a player blasting his teammates once a year (Lavonte David did so after the loss to Denver last year).
Four times in six weeks in a playoff run? Like a chance to make the playoffs isn’t motivation alone? That’s beyond unusual.
December 18th, 2025 at 8:43 am
The Bucs have better personnel on defense now than they did last year.
December 18th, 2025 at 8:45 am
I keep coming back to the job Shanahan and Demeco Ryans have done keeping their squads competitive and improving. They took their lumps but have kept getting better despite some devastating injuries and close losses that can sink morale. The Bucs have shown the opposite: an inexplicable lack of urgency, will, and determination. I don’t know what the issue is, but this staff better figure it out soon or there are going to be some major changes in the offseason.
December 18th, 2025 at 8:46 am
All these articles on the locker room and no names. Until I see some names, I pay little attention to…
December 18th, 2025 at 8:50 am
That is a failure of the coaching staff PERIOD
December 18th, 2025 at 8:54 am
The poison extends far beyond a few players. It seems that those decision makers for the Bucs like the GM and head coach are immune from the critics. Who drafted these players? Who paid these players? Who coaches and continues to start these players? Who extends the contracts of these decision makers?
December 18th, 2025 at 9:17 am
Bowles and his total lack of defensive scheme and head coaching abilities can be summed up in that 2 play sequence on 3rd and 28. The only “bad apple” is the leader of the defense who lets team with a backup QB and missing their number 1 WR convert that 2 play debacle.
December 18th, 2025 at 9:19 am
Weak Leadership. IF players are slacking or not listening, cut or bench them. None of them are good enough to act like a spoiled brat.
December 18th, 2025 at 9:41 am
I don’t understand this bad apple talk in the locker room.
How is that an excuse the Bucs. If the Bucs have bad apples, at least half the league has them!
The difference I suppose would be leadership and accountability doled out by our leaders and fearless Todd Bowles. But it’s a player room right, Bowles can’t take responsibility for what his veteran players are paid to do! Wait…
December 18th, 2025 at 9:46 am
Ugotrobbed Says
“Players playing like it’s a full on mutiny on defense!”
Not actually true. They are putting in effort (mostly), but they just are not good enough yet.
December 18th, 2025 at 9:49 am
Who are the leaders on defense?
Vita Vea?
Lavante David?
JPP (now)?
Vita has shown himself to be a good player, but has shown nothing in the leadership department.
David is retiring.
JPP is here for a few games.
We have not leadership on defense yet. We need at least 1-2 more drafts.
December 18th, 2025 at 10:09 am
The poison in the locker room is the Buc DEFENSE. We stop the Falcons on 3rd and 28 and we win the game. Never forget our new Battle cry…3rd and 28.
December 18th, 2025 at 10:27 am
A Rock and a Hard Place
Licht now has to decide is it the coach or is it his players. It has to be one. Imagi
If the issue is the players don’t believe in the coach, then Who gets his loyalty?
December 18th, 2025 at 10:32 am
Everything flows from lack of any pass rush. Ancient QB’s and untested rookies alike can carve up any defense if they have 5 seconds untouched in the pocket.
December 18th, 2025 at 10:41 am
There’s a saying….”follow the money” and it will generally point towards the problem. Reddick wanted a new contract in Philly, his solution was to become a problem. He did the same in New York…now he’s here. He still wants that last big contract and he needs sacks which for whatever reason isn’t a high priority in Bowles system. So take a wild guess at who’s likely part of the problem?
It’s interesting we brought back JPP to potentially address a locker room problem. I remember rumors that Bowles wasn’t a fan of JPPs practice habits and tendencies to not stick to his defensive assignments. All that being said, Bowles is the HC and for him to let this fester this long is his own fault…to some degree Licht as well.
December 18th, 2025 at 10:53 am
Problems in order of importance:
1. Lavonte David – I love his character, but he is washed and you can’t have your middle LB be the weakest spot on your defense – Licht fault for not drafting or signing a good FA
2. Winfield – Has absolutely mailed it in since getting his bag. Signing him was the right thing at the time, just unlucky he has decided to not be the same player post-signing
3. McCollum – see winfield, has also mailed it in since signing.
4. Reddick – absolutely horrendous FA signing, everyone could see he was washed coming in to the season, Licht mistake
For the future: Dont make the same mistake with Dean as Winfield and McCollum – Dean is fantastic when he is in a contract year. give him the bag and he will be hurt every other week and regress. Trade Winfield and McCollum for draft picks, or Vets in their prime that have shown they play after resigning.
December 18th, 2025 at 11:16 am
Reddick, Zyon, Winfield & SVD
thought bowles wouldve learned a thing or 2 from the VHG situation….
kids was a former 1st round pick who wasnt producing and loafing…BA released him!!!…END OF STORY!!!
bowles has to man up and put these guys on the bench if he cant release them…put Reddick, Winfield & SVD on the bench or IR!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
December 18th, 2025 at 11:17 am
How can this be? Licht only drafts high character good locker room guys?
December 18th, 2025 at 11:17 am
Winfield hasnt been the same since he was snubbed from the pro bowl…
bottom line is this team is missing true DAWGS….too many soft nice guys including bowles
GO BUCS!!!!
December 18th, 2025 at 11:52 am
Neither Bowles or Licht would NOT have drafted Warren Saap. THAT, ladies and gentlemen IS the PROBLEM!
December 18th, 2025 at 11:52 am
Sorry for the double negative.
December 18th, 2025 at 12:02 pm
In business, you don’t fire the team, you fire the people in charge. People naturally “quiet quit” when led by bad and/or incompetent leaders. Yes, you can be a nice guy as a leader, but still be viewed as incompetent by your people. Are there “bad apples” on the team? There sure are, but they are outliers and that’s the boss’ job to address, not the team’s job. The team can hold other guys accountable to some degree through peer pressure, but it’s the coach’s job to do this. Bowles is what he is, a really nice guy, but an average coach. I have nothing personal against the guy, I just see him for what he is. This will more than likely be the last time Bowles gets to coach a team in the NFL.