The 2026 Season Could Be A Turning Point For Bucs
January 15th, 2026
“Mr. Glazer, you really should watch Dante Moore’s tape against Iowa.”
Joe is a football fan. That means he’s not just an NFL elitist or a college football purist. Joe likes football. Period. So he pays as much attention to college as he does NFL.
(If it wasn’t for working at Bucs games, Joe would never think of leaving the house on a football weekend. Joe remembers the late great GOB — Gatekeeper of Booze — Chris Thomas of WDAE-AM 620 used to say if anyone watched more than 12 hours of football in a weekend, they needed counseling. Ha, 12 hours is barely a tailgate for Joe. On a typical football weekend, including Thursday, Friday and Monday night football, Joe can pack in 30 hours of football, no problem. #B1GAfterDark, #BigXIIAfterDark.)
Anyway, yesterday, Oregon star quarterback Dante Moore announced he’s staying with the Ducks for one more year. He won’t come out until the 2027 draft.
What does this have to do with the Bucs? A lot, possibly.
This season could very well be a pivotal season for the Bucs franchise. If the 2026 season goes sideways like what happened this past season, the Bucs could look a whole lot different in 14 months than it currently does.
If the Bucs have another losing record in 2026, you could see these guys, whether by attrition, retirement or contracts expiring, not be around One Buc Palace a year from now if the Bucs can’t get back on track this fall.
Todd Bowles, Mike Evans, Baker Mayfield, Chris Godwin, Lavonte David, Calijah Kancey, YaYa Diaby, Chase McLaughlin and Vita Vea could all be gone in February 2027.
So why does Moore come into play here? Let’s say — and Joe sure hopes this doesn’t happen because Joe likes the man a lot — Mayfield has another season this fall where he collapses down the stretch and/or starts spraying the field with picks. Does anyone really believe that Team Glazer will still drop a bag of Team Glazer loot in his lap? Mayfield’s current contract expires in February 2027.
If Team Glazer has second thoughts, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. With Moore entering the draft in 2027, it is shaping up to be a very nice quarterback draft. Here are some of the quarterbacks who may come out for the draft in a year:
C.J. Carr, Notre Dame
Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
Josh Hoover, Indiana
Sam Leavitt, LSU
Jayden Maiava, USC
Arch Manning, Texas
Dante Moore, Oregon
Julian Sayin, Ohio State
Let’s say if four or five of those players end up in the draft in a year. That’s a helluva quarterback draft. If the Bucs were of the mind to draft a quarterback of the future, that would be the time to do it.
So say Mayfield doesn’t play to a specific level, whatever level that may be, where Team Glazer doesn’t feel comfortable cutting a large check with lots of zeros to Mayfield. With the aforementioned Bucs possibly all gone due to retirement and/or expiring contracts, wouldn’t it then behoove Team Glazer and Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht to hit the reset button and start building for the future?
January 15th, 2026 at 3:58 am
Our DEFENSIVE GURU head coach will have the ship righted and we will be picking 32nd!🤣🤣🤣🤣
January 15th, 2026 at 4:09 am
You know things are going well when we’re already looking ahead multiple NFL draft’s for what to do with future Top-10 picks.
Back to the dark ages we go.
January 15th, 2026 at 4:21 am
Or finally get a top edge rush..as long as todd isnt coaching him.
January 15th, 2026 at 4:41 am
Yes…it could be. Or it could not be. Who cares at this point? 🙄
January 15th, 2026 at 4:42 am
Headline: The 2025 was already a turning point for the Bucs.
we went from perennial playoff team back to the yucs
January 15th, 2026 at 5:31 am
Hey Joe, thanks for mentioning Chris Thomas. I listened to him and my buddy Steve “Big Dog” Duemig up until they both passed. R. I. P. Chris and Steve. Go Bucs
January 15th, 2026 at 5:44 am
Joe, I wonder what you think of Mayfield having a different OC for every year of his NFL career? Or, how do walk-through practices help with timing when playing at full speed? A lot of fans seem to expect Mayfield to carry the team on his back. Sam darnold throws interceptions, but no one is screaming for his head on a platter. Why? Because Seattle’s D backs him up with solid, consistent play. Any comments?
January 15th, 2026 at 5:46 am
Sorry Joe, And I love your passion for the game. But I have given up on the college game after being a rabid fan for most of my life. SEC fan since the Bear Bryant days. Came to one of our practices once and got to meet him. Hoosier fan because my dad loved the hoops teams of Bobby Knight. Sadly it is not really college ball anymore in my opinion. So I’m out for the forseable future.
Go Bucs!
January 15th, 2026 at 5:51 am
I’ve watched baker since he came into the league. His up and downs seem to follow a pattern aligning with good or bad OCs.
January 15th, 2026 at 5:53 am
I’m sorry to say it but another lost decade is on its way 🤷🏻‍♂️ I have no faith in Todd and there won’t be any good coaches available next year.
January 15th, 2026 at 5:57 am
Joe, you’re playing “Let’s Pretend”? I know meaningful things to write about are fewer, but you’re dreaming.
January 15th, 2026 at 6:21 am
So, under this hypothesis, the Glazers would not be willing to offer Baker big pay but some other team would? And Baker would uproot his family again and go for that bigger check? Gotta be a pretty desperate team to offer that kind of loot.
January 15th, 2026 at 6:27 am
Purplebeard
Jalen Hurts has had a different OC every year for like the past 7 years going back including NFL and college. That hasn’t stopped him from reaching 2 SBs and winning one. And yes, he didnt do it by himself just saying the different OC thing isnt a good excuse.
Anywho, this is what I’ve been saying for months. This upcoming season is tank season for the Bucs thats why Bowles was retained. They know he’s not good and they’re counting on him to deliver that top 10 pick. Baker is going to Baker this year, and that means he’ll have a game or three where he looks great, but the majority of his games will be average to bad. That’s who he is and who he has been and that works in the Bucs favor to secure that pick.
Guys this upcoming season is the season smart fans knew was coming but the Bucs tried to kick the can down the road to scotch tape together this “SB roster”. It didnt work, A for effort. Now it’s time to rebuild…FOR THE FUTURE.
This team needs a young offensive HC and young QB for LONG TERM SUCCESS. Bringing in HCs and QBs that have lost with previous teams doesn’t work. You cant build around that.
So don’t feel bad about the team tanking, this year will definitely look different in 14 months. If not, then the owners really don’t care about winning.
January 15th, 2026 at 6:31 am
The 2026 Season Could Be A Turning Point For Bucs
Well, what else would it be?
January 15th, 2026 at 6:36 am
If the Bucs fix their OLine depth issues, Mayfield should be ok…we shall see.
The DLine and LB positions need serious upgrades…we shall see
All 3 phases of the team need an effective coaching staff…we shall see