“The League Stops Paying Attention To You”
May 26th, 2026
Team Glazer members and Raise The Flags co-stars.
When the Raiders and Jets didn’t get one prime time game on their 2026 schedules, Joe knew the NFL seriously turned a corner.
Both teams have big fan bases, but TV dollars rules the league. And that includes keeping networks and streaming services happy spending billions on NFL rights.
Owners want ratings numbers more than anything else. That drives the cash flow. A decade ago, the NFL insisted that every team get a prime time game. Why? Because it was good for growing the league and keeping every franchise relevant. That’s out the window now.
In addition to the Raiders and Jets, the Dolphins and Cardinals have no prime time games in 2026.
Buccaneers insider/legend/preseason game analyst Rondé Barber dove into the NFL ignoring teams during The Rondé Barber Show. He was adamant that no team wants to completely rebuild because it quickly falls into irrelevance.
“You don’t really have time in the NFL anymore to, like, start over,” Barber said. “The league stops paying attention to you when you do that. And we [in Tampa] don’t want to be that. From an ownership perspective, you want people in the stands, you want people to be energized by your team.
“…It’s an absolute trap. You get into that situation and the league passes you by. Like it just says, ‘Alright, next.'”
Joe heard Barber and wondered if was echoing things he’s heard about the Bucs’ interest in re-signing Baker Mayfield to a long-term contract. Keeping Mayfield might be viewed through that relevence lens in the bowels of One Buc Palace, as Mayfield certainly helps the keep the Bucs exciting.
Joe’s not saying Mayfield is unworthy of extension on merit, but the business side of things cannot be ignored.
Barber went on to say the Bucs are very relevant as they retool the roster.
“This is a team that can make runs,” Barber said. “Now are they good enough to go be best in the NFC? That’ll depend on how some of these young guys and some of the free agents take off.”
May 26th, 2026 at 10:53 am
As someone who has to get up early on weekdays i can honestly say i hate night games.
What is worse than a night game?
Staying up till 1am to watch your team lose a night game.
May 26th, 2026 at 10:54 am
Is it better to win or be in serious contention to win your division every year — or have a couple of really crappy years and get some high draft picks? In our case, the #1 overall pick (Jameis Winston) should have set us up for ten years but we actually had to get rid of him to improve. But (barely) winning the division then losing in the first playoff game is very unsatisfying.
May 26th, 2026 at 11:18 am
Having a competitive team is far better than a non-competitive one. One of these playoffs we will actually be healthy enough to go far.
May 26th, 2026 at 11:19 am
NFL is saturating the market. Diluting the product. This is a bad plan.
Also: You now need Netflix and Prime subscriptions. YT Tv to have Sunday Ticket. How is this good for fans?
Pigs get fat. Hogs get slaughtered. Baseball once reigned supreme. So did Boxing. If the NFL keeps crapping on fans with high ticket prices, ridiculous concession prices and making fans buy access to games, people will gradually lose interest.
College football has already been ruined.
May 26th, 2026 at 11:19 am
New team, new season. We’ll see how that goes this year. IMHO this O looks like it can produce 26+ points on average per game. The big reveal will be can the D hold the opposition to 20- ppg. If these things co-exist, all will be good. If not, it will be another frustrating season. Can’t wait until September!!
May 26th, 2026 at 11:21 am
‘you want people in the stands, you want people to be energized by your team.’
Retaining IBS as HC sends a totally different message!
They would rather lose with their ‘Buddy’ than to win with anyone else…
May 26th, 2026 at 11:33 am
A handful of new stadiums are being built and the Ray Jay simply doesn’t fit the criteria that the NFL demands.
I don’t know if the bones of the RayJay are suitable for what they have to compete with for a Super Bowl
May 26th, 2026 at 11:47 am
Both Baker and the Bucs have leverage and Joe’s article shows that.
As I have said previously, the sticking point in my opinion will be length of the contract offer it there is one.
In my view the various options the owners have revolve around the head coach position not the QB position. The QB position is out of sync with the HC position options. The owners could make a 3 year deal with Baker work. I believe Baker would view a 4 year deal as best for his career long term.
Will a mature Baker want to gamble on himself one more time and play out this contract ?
Time will tell and time is drawing short.
May 26th, 2026 at 11:50 am
How about this ? replace Browning with Johnny Manziel as backup and then at halftime every game have Manziel fight the opposing team backup QB in a ring set up at midfield ?
May 26th, 2026 at 12:24 pm
I never bought in the “we’re in rebuild mode” type of talk from people who follow the sport, because the league doesn’t wait for anybody. There’s so much roster churn and turnover, you find the team constantly cycling through coaches and/or player have a hard time sustaining any type of success. That effects whomever they have on hand in terms of personnel and it can just be a constant of digging different holes to get out of.
May 26th, 2026 at 12:31 pm
WOW! This news contradicts everything that the trolls in this room think, say and TEXT. This must hurt thy ego.
May 26th, 2026 at 12:40 pm
@stpete
The Bucs were healthy in 2024 in the playoffs and lost to a rookie, or did you forget? That team couldn’t score over 23 pts at home to win so what’s your excuse for that?
Barber is basically saying keep everything the way it is so the Bucs can have 4-5 primetime games a year to lose in front of nation. Bowles in 1-10 in primetime. Yea, real smart. Like I’ve been saying, it seems everyone in this organization is allergic to winning. No risk takers and honest self evaluation for that group, just keep going with the same losing plan yesr after year with the same losing HC and QB.
Joe says Mayfield helps keep the Bucs exciting. How exciting was the last 9 games of 2025? Or the playoff game in 24? Or never having a lead against Detroit in 23?
But who cares about winning and making deep playoff runs when you can be “relevant”.
May 26th, 2026 at 1:22 pm
The Glazers want to be relevant yet they keep below mediocre Todd Bowles. Bucs want splash and prime time then start with a decent head coach and go from there. YOU CAN’T HANDLE PRIME TIME
May 26th, 2026 at 1:33 pm
“Keeping Mayfield might be viewed through that relevance lens in the bowels of One Buc Palace”
I had to fix your spelling error. relevance > relevence
Now the Glazer kids should fix their coaching hire error.
Flush the Toilet Bowles.
May 26th, 2026 at 2:25 pm
You hear practically every talking head say it – Baker Mayfield is MUST SEE TV. If prime time games are important to the team, they almost have to re- sign Mayfield.
May 26th, 2026 at 4:06 pm
I like Baker – he has moxie – he is fun to watch and is good at the podium – but he’s been playing 8 years and has 2 playoff wins – he is 58-62 and led the league in BOTH FUM & INT in 2024 his “best” Bucs year – true that Sam Darnold has been playing 8 years and wasn’t that good until recently – but are the Bucs the Seahawks ? probably not
May 26th, 2026 at 5:59 pm
For all of the dopes still crying about the Glazers keeping Bowles…guess the Bucs are still relevant enough to have you losers still bitching about them
May 26th, 2026 at 6:51 pm
Sometimes, it’s best to just bite the bullet and rip the bandaid OFF. You just have to do it. Go ask the Steelers Fans about how happy THEY’VE been over the past how many YEARS. It’s weak and scared “leadership” to not have the GUTS to do what needs to be DONE. So, I’m not buying into ANY of that, at ALL. You can get REAL GOOD and QUICK, in this modern day NFL. Especially, with the ‘right’ HC and GM. You’re talking only ONE ‘rebuild’ year (after your current season’s TANK job)… Another Draft AND Free Agency Period, &you are ALREADY back to at least being somewhat ‘competitive’ AND interesting and FUN. Then, off to THE “Playoffs” (and then some) in just YEAR-2. Just take a look around the league these days! Hell, CURRENTLY… Lets just see… Hmmmm… Patriots, Bears, Broncos, JACKSONVILLE!? And, on and on… It is the MODERN DAY NFL. You have to be BADDDDD, before you can get GOOD. But, you have to have STRONG BOLD Ownership Group who is knows what the hell they’re doing, and especially with hiring the ‘RIGHT’ modern day HC, GM, and FO. Aggressiveness IS REWARDED. The Raiders with Mendoza and the Jets with Manning, most definitely, will not be ‘complaining’ very much about not having any “Primetime” games here REAL SOON. So, yeah… That is a total BS argument by WEAK ownership group, who is NOT most concerned with WINNING-FIRST.
May 26th, 2026 at 7:00 pm
They are totally fine with mediocrity, and being a ‘middling’ team, while trying to sell the fans (who continue to fall for it) a line of garbage. Smoke & Mirrors, people. Smoke. And. Mirrors.
May 26th, 2026 at 9:39 pm
I wish I could be energized about the upcoming season. I mean really!?!? It’s the Bucs and they will find a way to suck wether it is due to softness and injury, lack of discipline, lack of interest, fumbling and bumbling Bucs and twice as much during prime time. No, this new season is going to have to earn my blind fandom again. Yeah, I am still that hacked off with the entire organization over last season.
May 27th, 2026 at 7:32 am
@Bee the Bucs were NOT healthy in the playoffs of 2024. As is typical, our secondary was shredded with injuries. Dean, Whitehead, Kancey, Godwin were all out or went out during the game. Winfield was nicked up too but played. Barely. That’s a lot of high salary/high drafted players that were unavailable. We were HEALTHY for the 2021 Super Bowl. We won that just fine.
May 27th, 2026 at 7:35 am
And there’s no reason on earth to retool the team. We are right on the precipice of a Super Bowl caliber roster. Ignore Melvin/Obvious One. He’s not a fan at all.
May 27th, 2026 at 10:58 am
@ Stpetematt – that is absurd. “Super Bowl Caliber Roster” LoL. Delusional People. Or, just straight up LIARS. They wouldn’t know TALENT, if or when they saw it. I told YOU for throughout ALL of last season about the “salary cap” set to SKYROCKET soon, and YOU never once, would even acknowledge it! Just as you do with literally, everything. You just continue spewing the SAME ‘talking-point’ over and fricking over (no matter if the information changes or new information comes to light). You just choose to completely ignore it (the same I’m sure you treat your own politics). But NOW, all of the sudden, it’s ALL you ever talk about (other than the ‘injuries’ to our Guards LoL), when it comes to extending BAKER. Hmmmm… Interesting. You are a biased partisan HACK. A complete total hack.