Did Zyon McCollum Tweak A Hamstring?
May 30th, 2026
Cornerback Zyon McCollum.
Look, Joe doesn’t follow other teams closely with a magnifying glass like the Bucs. Why? Because Joe is laser-focused on the Bucs. There are only so many hours in a day.
So Joe has no idea if other teams have as many hamstring issues as it seems the Bucs do. “Seems” is the key word.
And that’s why Joe refers to the Bucs’ practice facility as the AdventHamstring Training Center.
It always amazes Joe, both good and bad, how people see different things in a particular video. Take the video the Bucs released earlier this week of Emeka Egbuka’s wild one-handed catch to start practice Tuesday during the first open OTA of underwear football season.
Egbuka caught a pass that was over his head and slightly behind him with one hand, and scored without missing stride. Beautiful.
What jumped out at Joe was how both Jalen McMillan and Egbuka celebrated after the score. You know, the team wanted more juice and passion.
Well, about 80 percent of Joe’s readers who commented instead lashed out at KitKat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles and his too-often soft defense for allowing Egbuka to make such a play. (Any door you leave open just a crack for folks to tee off on Bowles, they will not pass on the opportunity. LOL)
Watching the Egbuka play, A.J. Hawk saw something different.
Hawk, the former Packers linebacker and Ohio State legend, is Pat McAfee’s co-host. Hawk, during an airing of McAfee’s Show yesterday, pointed out near the end of the Egbuka video, you see a defensive back grab his hamstring. Hawk said that sure looked like someone tweaked or pulled a hammy.
That defensive back was Zyon McCollum.
If you look closely on the video, McCollum was closing in on Egbuka and when he got maybe two or three steps away from Egbuka, McCollum appeared to grab his left thigh, pulled up and veered off the field to the right, out of bounds. It’s as if McCollum took himself out of the play.
Maybe Hawk is onto something.
However, Egbuka’s play came on the very first play of the offense vs. the defense Tuesday. Joe thought Hawk’s observation was a bit odd only because Joe seemed to recall seeing McCollum involved in 7-on-7 drills.
So Joe went to his notes. Sure enough, around halfway through practice, Joe has Chris Godwin beating McCollum on a short pass to the right, catching the ball in front of McCollum.
And Joe did not notice McCollum limping. It doesn’t mean he wasn’t, just that Joe did not make a note that McCollum was.
Fast-forward to yesterday afternoon. McCollum attended a Bucs community-focused event at the Tampa Boys and Girls Club. There, McCollum is seen walking around at a brisk pace with the youngsters.
McCollum doesn’t appear to be limping, wearing a huge smile, as he often does. So if McCollum tweaked a hamstring, it seems minor. For now.
NFL teams are not required to issue injury reports until four days before the regular season begins. But as Hawk pointed out on McAfee’s show, you clearly see in the Egbuka video at the bottom of the frame McCollum (No. 27) grab his left thigh while running and taking himself off the field.
This is something for Joe to monitor next week when the local pen and mic club gets to watch practice again.
We know y'all have been waiting for this one… THE Emeka catch 😮💨 pic.twitter.com/DLs0ax2O8l
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) May 28, 2026
May 30th, 2026 at 12:19 am
To be honest Joe, the team is better off with McColunn on the sidelines. I don’t want to see the guy hurt and wish him no ill. However him playing cb is a disaster waiting to happen. I have been saying this and will keep saying this MCColumn should not be starting on this team. He proved last year beyond a doubt he can’t cover. I mean pure fantasy to think he can. He either doesn’t want to risk getting hurt or simply has no passion. Whatever the reason he is a huge liability. I don’t know Bowles said Dennis was going to be great last year. Presently we are told McColumn will bounce back. Dennis was not great last year nor will McColumn be this year. I think Bowles and Licht want the fans to think he is going to be great. How long do you think it will be until he is exposed in Cinn. I will say the very first series . Please Joe don’t worry if McColumn hurts his hamstring the team is likely to be the better for it
May 30th, 2026 at 12:38 am
I noticed it to but its always the same thing with these buc players always getting hurt they are just weak period
May 30th, 2026 at 12:52 am
Probably just a cramp… unfortunately his brain seems prone to cramping as well
May 30th, 2026 at 3:20 am
Is Zyon still bored?
May 30th, 2026 at 4:09 am
I expect to see the ‘24 Zion this year. I want the Bucs to win and teams don’t do that in this league without a good CB1.
May 30th, 2026 at 6:03 am
Joe
How many times I gotta keep saying it
We are weak at cornerback. We are still questionable upfront
But We have no shutdown cornerback
Yea we got dudes playing cornerback but they ain’t lockdown
I read up on Lattimore, bro might be cooked / finished
Ok cool. But seriously. Why is it so hard to find a good corner in the NFL
this is shaping up to be a disaster year for Bucs fans
May 30th, 2026 at 6:28 am
Bowles seems to fall in love with their draft picks and will start them regardless of their ability. Seems to me like a high school football coach starting his favorite kids. McCollum is just the latest victim of that coaching mentality.
Criticism aside, looks more like he’s saving face by pulling up and grabbing the back of his leg.
May 30th, 2026 at 6:36 am
He was ascendant in ’24, so much so they gave him $16 million/ year, no reason to believe he can’t be again
May 30th, 2026 at 6:43 am
Fellas, Is this the Zapruder film?
I think I see the grainy outline of Todd Bowles on the grassy knoll.
I’m almost sure AJ Hawk is trying to channel Dan Rather.
Or maybe Keith Hernandez needs to stop spitting at Zyon. Keep up.
May 30th, 2026 at 6:55 am
Still need to sign a vet CB
This is giving me flashbacks to last year when I said they had no LBer depth on to hear Bowles say it was their deepest position.
JL, do not believe Bowles this time. Go sign a vet CB!
Im sure the Bucs fantastic medical and training staff will have these guys stretched, properly hydrated for camp and the Bucs won’t lead the league once again in soft tissue injuries, with are mostly avoidable.
Dont question the Bucs medical or training staff in these parts tho..plus it’s only May.
May 30th, 2026 at 7:06 am
It needs to be the Prevent Training Center. Not the adverse Advent anymore.
We deserve better hamstrings as Bucs fans. Our soft tissue is about as soft as that defense was last season. Loafing probably saved some hamstrings to be honest too. Get me out of this soft tissue nightmare please!
May 30th, 2026 at 7:16 am
Bucs have 8.6 mil in cap space so they won’t be spending any money anytime soon. And if they do they player will be mid at best. This roster is what it is and we’re stuck with it for one more season.
May 30th, 2026 at 7:16 am
SERIOUSLY reaching on on this one. I watched it multiple times. He dropped his left hand to his left side for 0.2 secs before going off screen. Woop-dee-doo.
I guess you’re not allowed to put your hands down any where near your legs or it’s IR talk around 1BP.
That level of paranoia is what a season like 2025 will do to you.
We were set for bad juju as soon as we started all the 50 year celebration stuff.
May 30th, 2026 at 7:42 am
I don’t see anything conclusive, let’s see next week.
Zyon is a trade candidate for me, but we need to see if Parrish and Morrison can be starting corners first. Morrison missed all of last year’s camp, so hopefully a full off-season will help him. Parrish should be fine outside so that Keonte Scott can play nickel.
No matter what, Zyon should not be on the field in the lower red zone playing man. He’s average in zone, but poor in man.
May 30th, 2026 at 7:49 am
every team makes mistakes and giving zyon big bucks was a mistake, starting him against elite receivers a bigger mistake
May 30th, 2026 at 8:06 am
Probably just bored, it being the first play of O vs. D.
Silver lining that Chris at 30 with two major surgeries can still beat the bored one.
May 30th, 2026 at 8:20 am
I saw someone mention we do not have a shut-down corner. Well, no sh*t Sherlock.
I know the term is throw out a lot but really, how many guys does he see that can completely erase an elite WR1 in true man-to-man coverage without constant safety help?
May 30th, 2026 at 10:15 am
Regardless of Zyon’s health, at a minimum, another quality CB needs to be obtained this off season. They can’t get another useless Vildor type to get burned every play. Tweak the cap if necessary. We have questionable starters and no depth. JL has to fortify the secondary. The LB group is thin also. Protecting the middle is our greatest weakness and has not been adequately addressed. You can’t expect the line to get to the QB in 2 seconds. We have to be able to at least provide some tight coverage in the short to middle window of the field. Bowles’ no cover zone has to be improved. All the smiling and back slapping isn’t enough. JL has to get back to work. He let the first FA period pass with little done to patch the gaping hole in the middle. Zac should be exposing it all summer.
Anzalone just replaces LVD, Rozeboom is a jag and Trotter an unproven rookie. Who else is there in the LB room? Bum rushed Dean out the door and have all question marks at corner. We could be exposed early and often. The improvements to the line will bring few results if the back end can’t at least provide a modicum of protection.
May 30th, 2026 at 10:48 am
NFL really only has two shutdown corners right now off the top of my head
That’s Pat Surtain and Sauce Gardner
After that maybe Trent McDuffie who the RAMS traded for, Jalen Ramsey maybe
And you wonder why we can never beat the Rams
It’s because the Rams ain’t afraid to trade a damn pick!!!
May 30th, 2026 at 10:57 am
A long time ago, when there were lots of hamstring issues, I remember reading that one study concluded that the problem was overdeveloped quads. It seemed that the best ratio was 3:2, quads vs. hammies. Beyond that, the quads could keep pumping, but the hammies would give out. Just a thought.
May 30th, 2026 at 11:12 am
Bucs need 2 veteran CBs. Only thing missing from the defense other than a DC. Does Jason need another losing season of 3rd and 28 and 4th and 14 to see this ?? I don’t understand why so many think Licht is a genius GM? The guy is about as stubborn as Bowles.
May 30th, 2026 at 11:57 am
When has Joe disputed this cornerback analysis? That’s why the Joe typing here would have kept Jamel Dean.
May 30th, 2026 at 12:16 pm
@ KABUCS: 👏👏👏👏👏👏
May 30th, 2026 at 12:21 pm
AI Overview The Jacksonville Jaguars, New Orleans Saints, Carolina Panthers, and Baltimore Ravens historically log some of the highest incidences of hamstring issues, as NFL data indicates team rates span from \(0.6\%\) to \(5.7\%\) (with a median of \(3.1\%\)). However, these soft-tissue strains are heavily driven by position, not just the team itself.
May 30th, 2026 at 12:30 pm
P.S.: That’s not where your hamstring is at!
May 30th, 2026 at 12:39 pm
I saw that initially and thought it was Morrison
May 30th, 2026 at 1:23 pm
He didn’t grab the back of his hamstring an didn’t seem to hobble at all but his left arm is down so Idk thing is it’s really hot in FL an If you are not hydrated enough you will pull hamstrings an other muscles but I think Zyon will be fine it wasn’t just him last year an I believe ppl saw LVD loafing an threw in the towel if he’s doing it then forget it things will be different this year An the team is seeing how BMo an Parrish will do before they bring in a vet corner