CBS Details “Worst Case” For 2026 Bucs
June 29th, 2026
Bucs coach Todd Bowles.
One of the Joes is a lot more pessimistic than the other when it comes to the 2026 Bucs. That doesn’t mean the Bucs cannot return to their division-winning ways.
For the Joe typing here, it seems Tyler Sullivan of CBS touched on many issues Joe frets about as training camp is roughly a month away.
Sullivan typed up what could be in store if the Bucs have an awful season.
Worst-case: The second-half struggles from Baker Mayfield (14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions over his final 11 games in 2025) persist in 2026. The young pieces the Buccaneers were hoping would rise up — like Egbuka and Bain Jr. — aren’t ready for that responsibility just yet. That allows the rest of the division to continue closing the gap, with Atlanta and New Orleans both catching lightning in a bottle in their respective quarterback rooms. For the second straight year, the Bucs miss the playoffs, putting Todd Bowles’ job firmly at risk.
Oh, no need to worry about teams “closing the gap” with the Bucs. They lost out on winning the division on a three-way tiebreaker in 2025. Carolina has very much caught up since they won the NFC South landfill last year.
And Sullivan seems to have questions about the Bucs defense. Joe has plenty. As much hype and promise as Rueben Bain has, he’s going to play for a defensive coordinator known for not developing pass rushers. Throw in the fact Bain hasn’t taken a snap of football in the NFL, it’s why this Joe is not exactly driving the hype train this offseason.
On top of that the Bucs are banking on significant production from rookies on every level of the defense.
And Sullivan’s point about Baker Mayfield? That’s exactly why the same Joe typing here wants to see how this season plays out before rushing to extend Mayfield.
June 29th, 2026 at 12:28 am
If the Bucs miss the playoffs.. Bowles’ job is a lot more than “firmly at risk”.
He gone.
At least in a normal world.
June 29th, 2026 at 1:03 am
I would say Bowles is gone if they miss the Playoffs with this team.
Of course we all thought that last year so who knows with the Glazers doughnuts.
June 29th, 2026 at 1:34 am
The blessing is, a new GM will be brought in with explicit instructions to hire a HC with an offensive track record of success, and he will have three full time coordinators with a modern view of the game. He will model practice habits after BA’s model, with three fields and an accountability sheet that is enforced.
2028 could be a good year.
June 29th, 2026 at 1:51 am
No new GM.
Bucs will enter the playoffs and win.
Bowles will either retire or be replaced…by Mike Tomlin.
June 29th, 2026 at 2:51 am
If Bain is legit jump off the screen DAWG, then I don’t believe that HE will EVEN ‘ALLOW’ Bowles to hold him back. My guess would be that IF Bowles even TRIED TO… Then, Bain will just give him the Ol’ Dikembe Mutombo Finger, and be like, I don’t freakin’ think so, Old Man.
June 29th, 2026 at 4:24 am
I don’t think Licht is going anywhere. It isn’t his fault that the Bucs Coach(es) can’t coach them up or the screwy scheme where DL are defending WRs, TEs or RBs coming out of the backfield.
June 29th, 2026 at 4:42 am
In the NFL, successful HCs have two common elements, structure and discipline! With their current HC, the Bucs have neither! From the outside looking in, it’s way past time for a change!
June 29th, 2026 at 5:02 am
Bowles might be gone even if we make the playoffs. If the Bucs do good offensively, which I think they will, Zac Robinson is as good as gone. Glazers can’t let another good young offensive coach leave in order to keep Bowles. I see a situation like what happened with the Bills. You can always find a DC. It’s harder to find that OC who has a connection with your franchise QB. Glazers can’t let the next Coen walk out the door.
June 29th, 2026 at 6:21 am
Joe … ‘And Sullivan seems to have questions about the Bucs defense. Joe has plenty.’
So do I Joe, and so does just about every Bucs’ fan. How could anyone NOT have big questions; Bucs will have between 4-6 positions with new starters on defense this season. It’s a question in my mind of (1) how good are the new guys we’ve added; and (2) can Todd Bowles & his defensive coaching staff get this thing to gel & become a quality (Top-10) defensive unit. Those questions won’t be answered until we start playing the actual games.
Our offense however concerns me more than our defense, and most of my concerns center on Baker Mayfield. He MAY very well be the best we can get, BUT … in my eyes he’s not a franchise QB because he’s middle-of-the-pack & quite INCONSISTENT. Some games he’s been red-hot & willed the team to victory; others he’s been cold as ice & dragged us to defeat kicking & screaming. He’s had THREE winning years (11-5 with Browns and 9-8 & 10-7 with Bucs) in his 8-year career, and led his teams to 2-out-of-5 playoff wins in the 3 years his teams made the playoffs. His career Pass Completion Percentage of 63.5% is in itself middle-of-the-pack (with the exception of his 1 year with Coen in 2024 where he completed 71.4% of his passes, his other yearly Completion Percentages have ranged from 57.8% to 64.3%). Those 7 years (average of 62.1%) better define to me who Baker is than his 1 year at 71.4%.
So yes Joe I’m with you: Let’s ‘see how this season plays out before rushing to extend Mayfield’.
June 29th, 2026 at 6:41 am
None of those things are concerns to me. My biggest worry is the incredibly thin and questionable cornerback room and our lack of proven depth at offensive guard.
June 29th, 2026 at 6:46 am
It doesn’t mean a thing.
June 29th, 2026 at 7:16 am
I’m not too worried about everything going wrong.
We will start off out of the gate strong. Might even knock iff Cincy out of the gate.
But what you should worry about is the 3-4 game losing streak that’s going to happen mid season. It’s not a bug of this HC, it’s a feature.
June 29th, 2026 at 7:30 am
And after that mid season 3-4 game losing streak we don’t have a cushy 6 game end of season schedule like previous seasons, 3 straight mid season will likely turn into 9 straight or 8 of 9 to close the season then everyone is gone
June 29th, 2026 at 8:12 am
Bowles should have already been gone. Pretty sure this is his last lifeline he is hanging on by a thread.
June 29th, 2026 at 8:27 am
Gotta play it out before extending baker
if bucs miss the playoffs, both baker and bowles are gone
GO BUCS
June 29th, 2026 at 8:55 am
Like thier news CBS is a garbage news source
June 29th, 2026 at 9:14 am
Hey there Bonzai! Looks like I’m not the only one with a Mike Tomlin prediction.
And just to note, it’s a prediction, not a wish.
And just for fun, watch Green Bay this year. For anyone wanting an offensive minded HC, that one may be available in 2027.
June 29th, 2026 at 9:43 am
813
Keep preaching!
17 more games with Licht, Bowles and Baker then we can rid ourselves of the 3 stooges. Prepare to be underwhelmed. The Bucs are going with the same losing plan they’ve been going with the past 3 seasons. This season will be different because *checks notes* we have an alpha rookie on the OL and a new OC. Superbowl here we come!
June 29th, 2026 at 11:53 am
The sooner Bowels is gone, the sooner we get back to being a franchise of quality again.
Todd was handed the Taj Mahal and turned it into a ghetto.
He can’t even win a division with zero winning teams in it.
All other 31 teams would have fired him by now.
But not the Glazers. They embrace his losing culture.
June 29th, 2026 at 12:01 pm
Last year had as much hope as this year, but players didn’t materialize, and injuries really change a team.
“Worst case”? Mayfield goes on IR in Game 1. Then what is this season…
June 29th, 2026 at 1:42 pm
I will agree with people focusing too much on the INTs.
I don’t care at all about TO’s so long as you’re outscoring the other team.
The issue with 2nd half Baker was that fact he was turning it over while being completely unproductive.
Over the final 11 games of the season – his yearly pace would have been:
3300 yards, 22 TDs, 16 INTs – and for you Baker Boi(s) that always talk passer rating, his rating over those final 11 games was 80.6 – which was a pretty good year if he was Trent Dilfer.
June 29th, 2026 at 1:53 pm
Anyone who thinks that Baker Mayfield isn’t a very good QB with exceptional arm talent is delirious. Don’t take my word for it. Just look at some of the interviews given by Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Joe Burrows and Josh Allen. I’m just assuming that the “fans” on this site know more than these four guys do. Mayfield will be fine this year and the next four after that. The Bucs will be sorry if they don’t sign him. 54M x 4.
June 29th, 2026 at 2:43 pm
Come on man. This all starts up top. Glazers struck out letting Coen get away, and seem afraid to make or allow any coaching changes. Not hating on Todd, but I don’t see this getting better until we miss the playoffs again and the boys are almost forced to make a change. Hopefully the O Line can stay healthy and Mr. Robinson can get the most out of the talent we have to overcome our lack of defense. IF we’re blessed with another Coen like year on O but the D stays the same… Gotta make a change at HC. No more loafing or dropping 300lb dudes into coverage. We have talent! This is all on coaching to figure it out. Come on man!
June 29th, 2026 at 2:49 pm
Agree with Wyoming 100%
June 29th, 2026 at 3:16 pm
@ Buccaneer Bonzai Says: “No new GM.
Bucs will enter the playoffs and win.
Bowles will either retire or be replaced…by Mike Tomlin.”
IF the Bucs make the Playoffs, then Bowles is going NOWHERE. He’s NOT just walking AWAY, with still 2 full YEARS LEFT on his contract. He’s getting PAID. And, “Tomlin” is SUCH a lazy pick. So, guess then, it would NOT surprise me to see the BUCS eventually try going that route, IF Bowles fails. LoL. But, HELL NO to another OLD retread, who the modern game has already long passed by. The Steelers Fans saw-it, and had wanted HIM OUT for for awhile, before the Pittsburgh FO finally DID.
June 29th, 2026 at 3:26 pm
Careful what you wish for.
June 29th, 2026 at 6:42 pm
Both Joes have forgotten just how many players the Bucs were missing all of last year. When you combine ALL THOSE PLAYERS with the new draft class+all the players we picked up in free agency you have a completely different team composition than what we were rolling with last year. And last year, neither Lavonte NOR Mike Evans were productive, so any player can replace their positions and we will get more out of them. Put all these factors together and this team is massively more talented than last year’s team. No matter how good your coach is (we could have had Vince Lombardi last year) you cannot make up for lack of talent.
June 29th, 2026 at 6:45 pm
God help us if we end up with Tomlin. He’s world class boring.
June 29th, 2026 at 7:20 pm
” Losing Culture” Last i looked they missed the playoffs last season for the first time in a few seasons,too bad you win lost record isn’t up to your par..UGH!
June 29th, 2026 at 9:50 pm
He’s 1-3 in the playoffs genius. Only victory was against a floundering Eagles team with both starting WRs out.
That’s a Bowles special. Only beat the crap teams and pretend to win titles.
Reality is not your friend. You prefer make believe.
Typical Pom Pom waiving lemming.
June 29th, 2026 at 10:54 pm
I invite all non-Bucs fans to please go away and find another team.
June 30th, 2026 at 4:00 pm
Worst case is actually best case. Regression to zero wins, maybe Bleows is even fired before Thanksgiving.
Then finally Hope can return. Dick Kotite would be an improvement over this expanding human.
June 30th, 2026 at 7:12 pm
You damn skippy im waving the pom pom.Its the home team im waving for! thats called a fan wynch you and 328 are a couple of dorks which I shouldn’t say on behalf of Travolta and Jackson
July 1st, 2026 at 5:29 am
I agree with HODAD & several others on here . Like it or not Bowles is coaching the team next season. Barring a total implodsion , maybe he gets fired after this season no matter what happens short of a SB win. I hope y’all are right about Coach Tomlin returning to his BUCS roots not because I wish any bad for Coach Bowles , I’m a long time BUCCANEERS FAN & would never even consider pulling against them or supporting any other team. I actually think the TEAM will be better this next season, we got more talent & we got FAs with attitude, our Offense will be good provided we don’t have the injuries like last season . Those who don’t believe in Baker will see , like him or not he’s One of the better QBs in the NFL when he has starter type talent to help him & he’s not task with carrying the whole team. Our Defense will have more & better talent same scheme though,personally I wanted a Defensive Coordinator so Bowles could concentrate on being the HC not HC/DC cause that may be too much for anybody let alone him. GO BUCCANEERS!!!!!!