Click through to BillCurrieFord.com to see their extraordinary March offers. Family-owned in Tampa since 1960! Bill Currie Ford general manager Sean Sullivan is ready to help you PERSONALLY and give you the famous Ira Kaufman discount. Don’t Worry, Drive Currie!

BY IRA KAUFMAN

On the brink of free agency, Buc fans are naturally curious to see what additions Jason Licht can sign to return this franchise to championship contention for the first time since 2021.

But it’s also important to note that Tampa Bay’s success will be largely forged by some key players looking to return to their 2024 form. Two players on each side of the ball suffered regression last fall, contributing to a second-half collapse that leaves this organization entering a pivotal year.

Another sub-.500 record is likely to generate massive changes in the locker room, the coaching staff and perhaps the executive suite.

Let’s start with the veteran under center.

Baker Mayfield should be hitting his stride and in 2024, he gave every indication he would be Tampa Bay’s long-term answer at the game’s most important position. After Mayfield threw 41 TD passes en route to a Pro Bowl berth, a contract extension seemed a formality.

Mayfield was outstanding during Tampa Bay’s 6-2 start last year, throwing only two picks while excelling in clutch situations. But Mayfield tossed nine interceptions in the final eight weeks. In his last 10 games, Mayfield topped 204 passing yards only three times.

Overall, his average yards per pass attempt fell from 7.9 in 2024 to 6.8 yards, a significant dropoff. Injuries played a part — so did bad decisions. Todd Bowles still believes No. 6 is a franchise quarterback. Now, Mayfield has to prove it once again.

A year ago, Zyon McCollum looked like one of the league’s best young cornerbacks. He picked off two balls in 2024, tied for third in the NFL with 17 passes defended and played all 17 games. The Bucs rewarded him last September with a 3-year, $48 million deal, including $35 million guaranteed.

Zyon McCollum

McCollum did not live up to that contract extension, posting one interception and only six pass breakups in his 13 starts.

“Sometimes, he gets bored trying to make a play and then his technique will be lacking,” Bowles says. “So he just thinks too much. He’s just got to settle down and play and that’s something that we’ve been working through. We have confidence in him.”

That confidence will be tested as McCollum tries to hold onto his starting job against talented second-year defensive backs.

When the Bucs increased Bucky Irving’s workload in 2024, the rookie responded in sensational fashion. He averaged 88 rushing yards and 5.7 yards per carry in the final eight games and displayed reliable hands, providing the kind of offensive balance Buc fans crave. But last season proved quite forgettable. In the 10 games he played, Irving averaged only 59 yards on the ground and 3.4 yards per carry.

Bowles said Irving did not handle his injuries in a mature manner. New offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is counting on a return to form for a player who reeled off eight runs of at least 20 yards during his startling rookie year.

“That 2024 season, when he came on the scene, there were a number of things he can do in the run game and the pass game,” says Robinson. “I’m excited to get to work with him.”

Calijah Kancey

Once Calijah Kancey got on the field in 2024 after missing the first five games, he gave Buc Nation a glimpse of his enormous potential. In 12 games, Kancey registered 7.5 sacks, 11 tackles for loss, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and 17 QB hits … impressive production for a young interior lineman.

A pectoral injury limited Kancey to only three games in 2025 as he failed to post a sack. A former first-round pick, Kancey has missed 22 games in his first three NFL seasons and another injury-riddled year would leave his future with the Bucs quite uncertain.

By May 1, the Bucs must decide whether to exercise their fifth-year option on Kancey. He needs to stay on the field to ease the organization’s growing concerns about Kancey’s durability.

While free agency and the draft represent exciting opportunities for the Bucs to improve their talent level, Kancey, Irving, McCollum and Mayfield need to recapture the 2024 form that stamped them as keepers.

Otherwise, it could be another lost season.