Christian Izien Heads To Motown
March 12th, 2026
On to Detroit.
The exodus continues.
While defensive back Christian Izien will never be confused with Ronnie Lott, the guy was a very valuable backup. Versatile. Smart. Could even play cornerback in a pinch which he once did. Now he plays for the Lions, signing a one-year deal today. Two years ago while starting for Antoine Winfield, Jr., Izien had a key interception in a win at Detroit.
The best way Joe can describe Izien is “professional.” Busted his tail in practice. The Schiano Man wasn’t much for interviews (that’s fine). Not that he was hostile — he wasn’t — he was quite cooperative, in fact. But talking to reporters meant it took time away from the task at hand: improving as a ballplayer.
Joe does know Izien was irked by not getting more snaps last season.
The Bucs were riddled with injuries but not so much on defense aside from Calijah Kancey. But the Bucs didn’t break into hives if they had to turn to Izien.
Now Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht has another hole to fill, another task on his to-do list.
March 12th, 2026 at 1:12 pm
The guy could and did play every position in the secondary when injuries occurred. Why the Bucs didn’t keep this guy is beyond me. So stupid….
March 12th, 2026 at 1:13 pm
It is obvious these guys have no Faith in Todd and why he still has his job is an answer that only the Reclusive Silent Glazers know. Why would ME leave other than No Confidence in this head coach? Anyone?
March 12th, 2026 at 1:13 pm
Huge loss, Detroit getting better
March 12th, 2026 at 1:16 pm
Thats a real shame, liked him a lot,.even without many snaps Last season.
March 12th, 2026 at 1:17 pm
He was a Swiss army knife back there.
March 12th, 2026 at 1:18 pm
Happy for these players making it on contender teams ….
Bucs aren’t contenders for next couple years…
Chase that ring, you g men!… Best of luck!!!
March 12th, 2026 at 1:18 pm
Joe… they did not even tender an offer says a lot about what they thought of him. Or did they tender an offer?
March 12th, 2026 at 1:19 pm
is funderbirk available?
March 12th, 2026 at 1:19 pm
Not sure I can take another season of the Bowles and Licht comedy show. Not only are the fans voting no confidence, so are the Free Agent players.
March 12th, 2026 at 1:19 pm
Maybe these guys can really excel in another system.
March 12th, 2026 at 1:19 pm
Another jumps the sinking ship…
March 12th, 2026 at 1:20 pm
Truth be Told Says:
March 12th, 2026 at 1:13 pm
It is obvious these guys have no Faith in Todd and why he still has his job is an answer that only the Reclusive Silent Glazers know. Why would ME leave other than No Confidence in this head coach? Anyone?
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
No, the team did not tender him an offer.
Has nothing to do with Todd.
March 12th, 2026 at 1:20 pm
probably a bigger lost than RW1…
he was a solid player & deserved more snaps….Todd playing favorites imo
GO BUCS!!!!
March 12th, 2026 at 1:22 pm
why is it an exodus? If the defense was as bad as everyone says, why does it matter if some of the players on that defense leave? it may be addition by subtraction. Hoping for the best, that’s all. I may not agree with everything and think I know a lot about football, but one thing I know is… everything is not as simple as it seems to be. Fire Bowles and Evan would have stayed. so and so left, what are we going to do? Most of the time we are wrong about all of it.
March 12th, 2026 at 1:23 pm
I don’t think anything is obvious at this point with information.
What it does feel like is the meeting between the owners and Todd made one thing clear. This is the last year of Todd and his players and the general manager is ensuring he doesn’t have mess come offseason next year when a new guy will want his own players
March 12th, 2026 at 1:24 pm
This is a silly loss.
Basically a depth Swiss Army knife for the secondary at a low price. No one was panicking if he got into the game cause he could clearly play.
I myself wondered why he couldn’t get more snaps, especially with Dean and BMo missing time.
March 12th, 2026 at 1:24 pm
He is better than Winfield.
Every time he played, he made plays!
FF, INT, hard tackles.
He was one of my favorites. He actually played on fire.
Bowles is a moron for keeping him on the bench last season!
March 12th, 2026 at 1:25 pm
The arrow for all this keeps pointing in one direction. I also think if more player’s could they would be jumping this sinking ship too.
March 12th, 2026 at 1:25 pm
Please, let us go 0-17, then changes have to be made! (QB, HC & GM)
March 12th, 2026 at 1:27 pm
The Bucs were riddled with injuries and he didn’t play more? Depends on whose evaluation you trust more. Our coaches or theirs! We will find out soon enough on all these free agents. Not sure I remember any superstars the Bucs let go in recent history. The one’s that stick out for me going way back are John Lynch, Donnie Abraham & Hardy Nickerson.
March 12th, 2026 at 1:27 pm
Besides Winfield who took last year off, he was the most physical. We need that!
March 12th, 2026 at 1:28 pm
Bowles must have favorites.
Or Izien did sth to piss him off.
How do we let Izien go? On a 1 year cheap deal to Detroit?
Izien made more plays than Winfield when he started in his place.
I don’t undetand how our coaches can be so blind!
March 12th, 2026 at 1:29 pm
bucs are trying to get older on defense
March 12th, 2026 at 1:31 pm
At what point do the posters who aren’t all that sharp realize when it comes to free agents like Izien the Bucs have no control over where he chooses to go unless you want to overpay for the guy. It really is a pretty simple concept, free agency, that many can’t seem to understand.
March 12th, 2026 at 1:32 pm
We have Russell
March 12th, 2026 at 1:36 pm
I’m happy for him.
He’s now out of the radar of the giant space opening where light cannot escape.
That would be the wide open Swiss cheese soft as butter pee wee league caliber Bowles pass defense.
#SuperBowles
March 12th, 2026 at 1:38 pm
I mean we have J.J. Roberts
March 12th, 2026 at 1:40 pm
Bucs Pirate Ship seems to be taking on a lot of water. When you fail to go after the big fish, all thats left are the scavengers waiting gor the boat to go down. I don’t think a Mayday is gonna help. Mediocrity here we come again at blinding speed.
March 12th, 2026 at 1:41 pm
Tough loss. They should’ve played him more last year.
March 12th, 2026 at 1:41 pm
Teacherman Says:
March 12th, 2026 at 1:28 pm
Bowles must have favorites.
BINGO!!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
March 12th, 2026 at 1:43 pm
He’s not a very good outside CB when needed. We’ll be fine at safety, set at slot
March 12th, 2026 at 1:45 pm
As long as we don’t lose Vildor we’re good. Since Atlanta is keeping Pitts, Todd will need Vildor to cover him.
March 12th, 2026 at 1:47 pm
Izien was hurt all the time missing practices and games galore. I don’t recall him making a big play all season. Pfft.
March 12th, 2026 at 1:47 pm
Cool he will get more snaps which is what he wasn’t getting with the bucs wish him well
March 12th, 2026 at 1:48 pm
“”At what point do the posters who aren’t all that sharp realize when it comes to free agents like Izien the Bucs have no control over where he chooses to go unless you want to overpay for the guy.””
Right. And any of these free agents that are bailing could’ve just as easily resigned with the Bucs but they didn’t. There was a time not so long ago that we were resigning almost all of our free agents. They WANTED to stay here.
So what’s changed? Even you posters who aren’t all that sharp should know the answer to that question.
March 12th, 2026 at 1:49 pm
A little too young and versatile for the current brain/boiler trust.
March 12th, 2026 at 1:49 pm
What can you say? Not much about Jason, other than he’s sleeping on the job.
March 12th, 2026 at 1:54 pm
“Izien was hurt all the time missing practices and games galore. I don’t recall him making a big play all season. Pfft.”
Got hurt and camp and got hurt in the regular season.
Also didn’t help we filled in the spots he was filling in at with draft picks in Tykee Smith & Jacob Parrish the last 2 years.
March 12th, 2026 at 1:56 pm
so now we are crying about fringe players on a defense that it seems everyone here is claiming was trash? got it
March 12th, 2026 at 1:58 pm
The writing is on the wall
We need to get bigger on defense, especially with the Safeties
I’m good with the Bucs letting Christian go
I said it after the Falcons game, when Bowles lit into them
There will not be ANY resigning of these bums from that defense
And true to form
.
The Bucs haven’t brought back any of the trash
These FAKE Bucs fans was all over Bowles and the defense last season
Now these exact same FAKE Bucs fans are moaning and groaning
Because Licht and Bowles are not resigning the garbage players
Miserable people looks for a reason to complain
You can’t please these type of people
You can only pity them
I love what the Bucs are doing
March 12th, 2026 at 1:59 pm
He will go there and kick ass guaranteed
March 12th, 2026 at 2:00 pm
I used to think Licht knew what he was doing because he has done well in drafting players. But except for the Super Bowl year and year after he can’t seem to sign quality free agents to save his life. Maybe the magic behind everything front office was John Spytek and now he’s gone.
March 12th, 2026 at 2:04 pm
The bucs are getting harder to understand every day that passes.
March 12th, 2026 at 2:04 pm
A lot of former Licht draft picks seem to go to the Lions; I guess Detroit appreciates his evaluations.
March 12th, 2026 at 2:05 pm
3rd and 28
March 12th, 2026 at 2:08 pm
Something tells me there is more to the story with the Bucs not keeping him.
March 12th, 2026 at 2:09 pm
Maybe Izen was a little slow……..upstairs.
March 12th, 2026 at 2:09 pm
Wow! So Interesting!!!!
1. Wow! Licht had the highest rate of re-signing drafted players. Odd to see an affordable guy like Izien leave.
2. Interesting!!! It was reported last year that players on defense stopped responding to Bowles as HC. No names were named.
I’m guessing Izien was a guy that had had enough of Bowles BS schemes. The team had to move away from Izien after they kept Bowles.
Licht is losing HIS players because of Bowles. This must be killing Licht.
March 12th, 2026 at 2:11 pm
Big mistake to let Izien go!!!
Licht is short-circuiting….
This dude was one of the best tacklers on the team.
Plays a variety of roles….
Do better Licht!!!!!
Very disappointed…
March 12th, 2026 at 2:13 pm
There was a big shake up with the coaching staff
And there will be a bigger shake up with the roster
Just brace yourself true Bucs fans
Most of the trash will be in the Landfill before Opening day
I guarantee you they will be ghost come September
I love what the Glazers, Licht, Bowles are doing
Keep it coming
March 12th, 2026 at 2:14 pm
Yeah I’m guessing they wanna make JJ Roberts the Swiss Army knife this year backing up safeties and slot corner….
JJ is an incredibly athlete and his season-ending injury early in camp last year really hurt…
March 12th, 2026 at 2:24 pm
I’m not sure that I agree with Joe’s “valuable” assessment here. At best, he was depth. Not hating, just saying!
Either way it went, meh!
March 12th, 2026 at 2:24 pm
Anyone who can is fleeing the Bowles infested pirate ship.
Soft tank in full bloom, nobody should think for a moment this is anything else.
Even Helen Keller could’ve seen the rot during 2-7 and 3rd and 28.
March 12th, 2026 at 2:24 pm
Good player, this will hurt.
March 12th, 2026 at 2:24 pm
Dumb move he was pretty good and took the ball away. This team is being ran by a bunch of clowns. The fans can better assess this team than the people that are getting paid can at this point.
March 12th, 2026 at 2:25 pm
Fubar
March 12th, 2026 at 2:31 pm
It’s not surprising. Jason kept Todd so those that can jump, do.
March 12th, 2026 at 2:33 pm
“I’m guessing Izien was a guy that had had enough of Bowles BS schemes. The team had to move away from Izien after they kept Bowles.”
I could rotate my tires with this level of spin lol
March 12th, 2026 at 2:45 pm
Nobody wants to play for the Suckaneers.
March 12th, 2026 at 2:58 pm
bill …lol.
March 12th, 2026 at 3:01 pm
Put simply, Izien’s production is EASILY replaceable. I’m not sure what others have seen that makes him stand out.
March 12th, 2026 at 3:04 pm
Saving some cash. Must not be able to communicate. Lol.
March 12th, 2026 at 3:05 pm
I get the feeling that if the Bucs offered Mayfield an extension this off season, he would say “no thanks, I’ll just play out my contract and then we will see.”
March 12th, 2026 at 3:11 pm
We should have fired Todd. My goodness
March 12th, 2026 at 3:14 pm
“Put simply, Izien’s production is EASILY replaceable. I’m not sure what others have seen that makes him stand out.”
Most fans won’t even bother to look that Izien went from playing 697 defensive snaps in 2024 to just 166 defensive snaps in 2025.
Meanwhile, you could argue 2 of our better secondary players this past year BOTH play positions we’d need Izien to backfill as a reserve.
It could literally be as easy as not having the opportunity or roster space to grow Christians’ career and that’s okay. Izien was good for us when we needed him, and we’re really not lacking anything outside of having to fill the hole he left on kick cover teams.
March 12th, 2026 at 3:16 pm
I knew rachaad white would reunite with jayden Daniel’s…if 49ers release Brandon aiyuk I can see him joining commanders as well..they are having a good off-season plugging holes unlike us
March 12th, 2026 at 3:20 pm
I think it’s interesting that everyone and the Joes are blaming Bowles, Licht, the Glazers. But Mike said something that isn’t getting any attention by anyone and that’s he is going to be excited to play in a stadium that’s full of their fans. He said he was excited for that. I think a lot of Tampa players feel that way but won’t say it. It has to be pretty annoying to play at home but basically be at an away game. But of course continue to blame everyone else and maybe just maybe players want to feel like how other players feel in their stadiums.
March 12th, 2026 at 3:23 pm
“But Mike said something that isn’t getting any attention by anyone and that’s he is going to be excited to play in a stadium that’s full of their fans. He said he was excited for that. I think a lot of Tampa players feel that way but won’t say it. ”
Rachaad White said the same EXACT thing, that players hear the chirping from fans but don’t take it to heart because you see the stadium on game days. I know it was different hearing “COOOOOOOOP” cheers when we played the Eagles at home, that was some BS especially considering we were 3-0 at the time and it was our 2nd home game of the year.
March 12th, 2026 at 3:23 pm
If you take a look at Spotrac to see who the Bucs have under contract, we’ve got 26 defensive guys under contract right now. Several of those 26 probably won’t make the final 25 or so who we’ll start the season with (my guess: CB Williams, DL Whitey, DL Simmons, DL Hutmacher, DL Jones, ILB Jackson, Safety Hayes).
So IF that’s right, we’d end up keeping 19 to fill 25 slots. We could theoretically fill the remaining 6 slots with draft picks, but I doubt that’ll be the case. Gut feel is that we’ll fill 4 slots with draft picks and add 2 other free agents. I was hoping that Izien was gonna be 1 of those free agents. Nope, foiled again.