Jason Licht Wants YaYa Diaby With Bucs “Long Term”
April 1st, 2026
New deal coming?
The closest thing the Bucs have to a double-digit edge rusher is YaYa Diaby. Therefore, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht has no desire to see YaYa pull a Mike Evans and bolt the Bucs for a new chapter.
In YaYa’s rookie year (2023), he had 7.5 sacks. He hasn’t yet matched that but did have 7 sacks last season. Licht doesn’t want to see his homegrown talent leave and is open-minded about extending YaYa before he has a chance to hit free agency.
“We’ll figure things out,” Licht told Joe and two other scribes at the NFL owners meetings Monday in Arizona. “I’d love to have YaYa here long term.”
Licht believes YaYa is a bit overlooked as a core player.
“He’s a very good young player,” Licht said. Diaby is “probably a little bit underappreciated.
“I think overall, what he’s done, he’s a good young player. We like him a lot.”
The thing Joe likes about YaYa is the guy has heart and drive. And, for the people who value quarterback pressures, YaYa provides that.
Joe has to believe if the Bucs had a monster opposite side YaYa at the other edge rusher, it would help YaYa out because right now offenses know if they take out YaYa, their quarterback could order General Tso’s chicken from the neighborhood Chinese takeout and not have to worry about getting hit.
April 1st, 2026 at 5:41 am
He’s solid, not great. Don’t pay him like he’s great, pay him like a core player if that’s how you view him. If he needs someone on the otherside to make him better, he’s not the guy. Who we really need to pay is the edge rusher who can make YaYa better. Licht has been unwilling to bring that guy in, and pay him.
April 1st, 2026 at 6:26 am
The announcers rave about Diaby during every game. He is a menace, disrupting what the offense wants to do on virtually every play (unless Bowles drops him into coverage).
The only place he gets no respect is here.
April 1st, 2026 at 6:32 am
Licht likes to pay solid, but not great players, great player money. Godecke, McCollum, Dean, Godwin. That way we’re hamstrung with big backloaded contracts and unable to do anything meaningful to get great players. But, it keeps Licht’s stats up and gives him something to brag about.
April 1st, 2026 at 6:56 am
Dudes with heart and drive don’t always make good to great football players.
April 1st, 2026 at 7:09 am
Bowles will chase him out of town too!
April 1st, 2026 at 7:15 am
Only issue is he has not really developed since his rookie year. He does not really have a bull rush type of power, nor is he super bendy around the corner.. He’s all heart and effort.. In a perfect world he’d be in a rotation..
April 1st, 2026 at 8:01 am
Ya ya is a nice player but he’s not a superstar. He’s a contributor that’s all. He’s still got room for improvement but….who knows if it will happen.
April 1st, 2026 at 8:16 am
agree with mostly everyone on here especially @Kevin
GO BUCS!!!
April 1st, 2026 at 8:32 am
Yaya, is too SOFT!!! Will never amount to anything special….
April 1st, 2026 at 8:38 am
Everything points 👉 to finding an end rusher for their defense to be relevant. This is the key factor to see how deep the Bucs can play into the playoffs.
April 1st, 2026 at 9:07 am
Yaya is a good compliment to a true number one too bad we don’t have one.
April 1st, 2026 at 9:40 am
You guys want an individual you can talk about more than the unit, and it’s weird.
April 1st, 2026 at 9:49 am
Better not pay him like a star. He’s good, not great. Don’t handcuff us with another $20 million a year contract for a good player. I get that elite guys get $40 million now, but he’s not half of elite.
April 1st, 2026 at 10:13 am
Joe looks at YaYa like Leonard Floyd. Whenever Floyd plays somewhere with a beast on the line, Floyd balls out. When Floyd is expected to be *the guy* he’s OK.
April 1st, 2026 at 10:22 am
Can’t pay him like a star. But he is a starter, and so a mid-range contract would be smart and very lucrative for him!
April 1st, 2026 at 10:45 am
So my question is what happened when Shaq got here? Was he a guy that didn’t get the reps in Denver or was he benefiting from JPP on the other side or both? Was it the, say it like the church lady, “SCHEME”? What ever it was it would be nice to have that back again. And both could play the run, had good read and recognition.
April 1st, 2026 at 11:34 am
Bowles is in luck…
Bud Licht’s favorite thing is to overpay underachievement.
April 1st, 2026 at 11:47 am
Sorry Evo
This is another JL overpay special looming. 20 mill a year for sure. Better to trade him for draft picks this year while you can. Let Braswell show us his giant breakout.
April 1st, 2026 at 11:48 am
Until there is a real head coach who hires a separate, modern defensive coordinator, no one is going to want to be with this dumpster fire long term unless they are way overpaid to stay, like Cade Otton.
April 1st, 2026 at 1:08 pm
Another JL draft extension incoming. When Licht isn’t getting off on his draft picks he’s getting high off his own gas fumes.
April 1st, 2026 at 1:40 pm
Get a deal done before Yaya blows up. The guy is a star, and is going to get big money next offseason if he’s not locked up.