What A Debut!
September 13th, 2026
Rookie Bucs inside linebacker Josiah Trotter (45) stares down Joe Burrow (9) Sunday. Trotter had a record-setting afternoon.
So how about the guy so many people whined and kvetched over who couldn’t defend the pass.
The self-proclaimed sophists of the NFL draft swore on a stack of Bibles that Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht whiffed in the second round by picking downhill defender Josiah Trotter.
What is Licht doing? They need a linebacker who can defend the pass!
So how did Trotter do facing a guy who just may end up in the Pro Football Hall of Fame? How about a pick-six on the same quarterback? In his very first NFL game today.
These draft sophists may want to reassess.
But that’s not all. Trotter went wilding when he wasn’t picking off Burrow. Sure, he had rookie mistakes, but he broke Derrick Brooks’ Bucs record for 7 tackles in his first game (Mason Foster shared the record as he also had seven tackles in his debut). Trotter finished with 10.
This news stunned Trotter as he learned this when reporters first gathered around his locker.
“I’m blessed to be out there, to have the opportunity to go out there,” Trotter said. “I wish I could have done more. There is still stuff to clean up. Ultimately, we didn’t win the game.
“So I will continue to do more, make more plays.”
Also, there is this: Only two players the past 10 years have had a sack, an interception and five or more tackles in their NFL debuts. T.J. Watt and Trotter.
On his pick-six of Burrow, Trotter said on a very similar play he had a pick-six in practice. So when he saw his keys and saw how Burrow and the receivers reacted, Trotter quickly decided to react the same way he did on his pick-six in practice. And bingo, he got in the end zone, reading the play perfectly.
“I trusted my eyes,” Trotter said.
When the subject of his biggest knock coming out of the draft, pass defense, was brought up, Trotter simply said, “I know what I can do.”
Now, maybe, so too will the Trotter haters.
September 13th, 2026 at 6:33 pm
Promising debut…he’ll need to carry the prized free agent wearing the blonde powdered wig I’m afraid.
September 13th, 2026 at 6:35 pm
That was a tough loss, but that play was the first play of the season that was absolutely awesome to watch live.
September 13th, 2026 at 6:36 pm
He was a joy to watch today!
September 13th, 2026 at 6:36 pm
“Also, there is this: Only two players the past 10 years have had a sack, an interception and five or more tackles in their NFL debuts. T.J. Watt and Trotter.“
Apparently the first player to record a pick-6 & sack in his NFL debut
September 13th, 2026 at 6:38 pm
cmon you all rewriting the game Trotter was bad in coverage most of game got probably easiest int he will ever get. Giseckee like Gronk over the middle vs he and azalone
September 13th, 2026 at 6:39 pm
Can’t wait to see what he can do when they get a real DC, and HC in here.
September 13th, 2026 at 6:41 pm
Josiah Trotter is a solid football player
With a high football IQ
He’s only 21, he will improve every week
September 13th, 2026 at 6:42 pm
Todd Bowles didn’t fumble the ball 4 times.
September 13th, 2026 at 6:43 pm
He’s 2x better than anzalone already. Just get rid of him please.
September 13th, 2026 at 6:46 pm
Knuckbuc, was that a parody of a linebacker out there or what the hell was that? You’re not kidding
September 13th, 2026 at 6:46 pm
TB gets a pass on this one.
September 13th, 2026 at 6:48 pm
Mattsc nah unfortunately that was Alex anzalone real play we saw baker juke him out of his cleats 3 years ago. No surprise he still is buns but worse Detroit fans were super happy he left we’re seeing why now
September 13th, 2026 at 6:51 pm
To think…there are some people who claim he did badly.
Knucknbuc Says:
“He’s 2x better than Anzalone already. Just get rid of him please.”
I think Trotter really is better than Anzalone, however, if you think Anzalone had a bad game, you are out of your mind.
September 13th, 2026 at 6:51 pm
Thanks Joe for writing about something positive, it’s good to know we have a future star in Trotter !!
Actually I think for the most part the Bucs defense played well, considering their backs were always to the wall after each turnover.
Go Bucs !!
Beat the Browns !!
September 13th, 2026 at 6:53 pm
Let’s goo. He’s what this defense needed and if the offense primarily baker doesn’t cough the dam ball up 4x we walk out with a win. Can’t believe baker. Pay me 150 mil and I’ll go out there and fumble 3x
September 13th, 2026 at 6:57 pm
I admit I wanted Rodriguez and wasn’t thrilled. Hope he continues to prove me wrong.
September 13th, 2026 at 7:11 pm
Now weknow why Evans left this dumpster fire. Bakery Mayfield=Josh Mclown. Sacrificing it all trying to get an extra yard. Sad..
September 13th, 2026 at 7:15 pm
As someone who questioned taking Trotter when Anthony Hill, Jr. was on the board, I congratulate Trotter on an outstanding start to his career in the NFL.
September 13th, 2026 at 7:20 pm
Trot gets the game ban in a losing effort. But he looked like the best player on the field on defense.
A million times better looking than Bain and Scott looked today.
September 13th, 2026 at 7:44 pm
My man LVD retired and rightly so, but Trotter definitely made a solid defensive LB statement today. LVD would have given him 2 thumbs up. 🙂
September 13th, 2026 at 7:44 pm
No Todd didn’t fumble, didn’t miss a tackle, or get a penalty. He is however the head coach responsible for his teams performance. He’s 2- 8 now in his last 8 games. If you think he’s blameless in all this dysfunction, and losing, you’re either a fool, or a Glazer.
September 13th, 2026 at 7:52 pm
BB,
Anzalone looked like sh!t today. He took bad angles and got nuked multiple times by ballcarriers and he got beat in coverage multiple times. Very bad game for Anzalone. I’m actually worried now about him possibly being part his prime.
September 13th, 2026 at 7:53 pm
*juked
September 13th, 2026 at 7:57 pm
Trotter ok
Anzalone BAD, very bad
September 13th, 2026 at 8:01 pm
Keep proving those of us who doubted you were the best available LB on the board when the Bucs picked you wrong young man…you might be the only bright spot on this team we get to watch this season?
September 13th, 2026 at 8:02 pm
He did do really good. I thought I saw he gave up quite a bit to the TE but I’m really not sure. I could be mistaken , I have to rewatch it. He made some good plays and the pick 6 should have been game changing. Again I’m really not sure who was giving up all those yards to the TEs but they kept testing it and going there.
September 13th, 2026 at 8:10 pm
Erik with Clean Athletics … ‘Anzalone looked like sh!t today.’
One of the things I saw from Anzalone and several other Bucs was the inability to cut or change direction cleanly today. Several times I could see something popping up from the ‘grass’ as players were cutting, but no idea what they were using on the field to make it do that.
Since it was an away game, I’m wondering if our guys had their full complement of shoes along with them so they could change as conditions required. It’d be an interesting question for the media to bring up at one of the post-game sessions this week.
September 13th, 2026 at 8:34 pm
Definitely a bright spot in what will be considered a throwaway game this fall.
September 13th, 2026 at 8:39 pm
The one bright spot on an otherwise bad day for us Buc fans. I have to say I was unhappy when the Bucs could not land Jacob Rodriguez and “settled/reached” for Trotter. At least after one week, he looks like the real deal. Rodriguez will probably be a good player too, but his Dolphins got boatraced by a bad Raider team. Too bad others on the Bucs’ D could not match Trotter’s intensity!
September 13th, 2026 at 8:44 pm
Defense Rules, Scott R over on PR is also hyping how the Bucs’ D looked like they had the wrong cleats for the Cincy turf, particularly Anzalone. He said he was surprised that Anazalone didn’t change cleats at half time and wonders if the equipent manager or whomever handles things such as making sure the team has the proper cleats might be in the doghouse over this gaffe. Seems like something easy was overlooke
September 13th, 2026 at 9:11 pm
Lavonte Tied a Brooks record in his last game and Trotter broke a Brooks record in his first. Hopefully good things to come from this kid.
September 13th, 2026 at 9:14 pm
For a rookie starting his first game, he obviously had a huge day.
Some gentle criticism, however…
– He looked a little slow getting into his zone drops
That’s it, and as he learns the defense better, he should speed up a little.
But he was basically a 1st ballot HOF’er compared to Analzone and his garbage play.
September 13th, 2026 at 9:17 pm
I would’ve considered drafting him but I was just concerned about his injuries.
September 13th, 2026 at 9:22 pm
Prior to that interception, you hardly heard his name. Not dogging him, I want all of them to be impressive…. But Cincy’s D looked better and in my opinion they shouldn’t.
September 13th, 2026 at 9:38 pm
This guy is goid. The bucs need to pick linebackers in late 1st or early 2bd rounds every 3 years and will have all pros forever doing that. Hardy nickerson is the only f a we ever got to work out
September 13th, 2026 at 9:40 pm
He layed a few terds, but the difference is effort
and he played Hard and intense and Awesome with the pick !!
him and his lb mate were absoulute junk in the first half .
Baker get a all this what a great play attention but he is
a disaster !!
He just isn’t an efficient Qb week in and out
but everyone loves his broken play s ……if he could
throw out of the pocket( he can’t 55 mil 🥵) he maybe would t have all
these unneeded play extensions that kill the team
September 13th, 2026 at 10:36 pm
Can’t wait to see the eye popping stats Bain puts up in his first game now.
Wait, what? Bain played today? Don’t remember seeing him anywhere.
September 13th, 2026 at 10:41 pm
Don’t compare anyone to Brooks unless they’ve played 6 seasons.
Mason Foster comparison doesn’t sound promising.
Congrats someone on the defense made a play
September 13th, 2026 at 11:07 pm
He was horrible today but made 2 splash plays. Welcome back Devin White.
September 13th, 2026 at 11:47 pm
Anon Says:
September 13th, 2026 at 11:07 pm
He was horrible today but made 2 splash plays. Welcome back Devin White.
———-
We can only hope he’s as good as White was.
Devin White was a 2nd team ALL-PRO and the Bucs don’t win the SB without him.
September 14th, 2026 at 2:37 am
Rod Munch Says:
September 13th, 2026 at 11:47 pm
We can only hope he’s as good as White was.
Devin White was a 2nd team ALL-PRO and the Bucs don’t win the SB without him.
——————————————
Who needs good LB play when you can get a media award and imaginary hypotheticals. Hey maybe the Bucs win 3 straight SBs if they use the 5th overall on literally anything other than a bad LB.
September 14th, 2026 at 3:46 am
very deceiving if you look at the stats…
trotter didn’t really have a good game…
especially in the first half…
2nd half his game picked up some, after the game was almost on ice…and he added key stats that pundits can make seem incredible…
(ehhh game with numbers that say different)
he has a lot of work to do…
the int also fell into his lap…it was as blindly thrown as a jameis ball…something burrow never really does…
don’t over hype the kid just yet…
the stats make it seem like an all pro type day, yet he was far from that…
yes he had a good second half…
anzalone looked like a loaf of bread left on a park bench in a thunderstorm…makes you worry…
another weird bucs game that leaves it hard to access, with all the fumbles and guys not really settling into their roles…
hurst looked good late…
bucky looked pretty good…
emeka and godwin looked good too…
wirfs looked like crap but no one will say it…and the o-line on a who def wasn’t moving on all cylinders…
morrison looked pretty good and so did zyon…
tykee…ehh
winfield with the similar no show action we saw last year…
and the baker fumbles were sheer absurdity…like what is wrong with that dude…that ball was crazy untucked a lot of the time when it needed to be…
sad performance that you knew was over after about20 minutes of clock…you knew burrow would at least go tit for tat the rest of the way so the bucs couldn’t really climb back in it…
if we are a team worth anything, we need to do a jacksonville type job to cleveland next sunday in the home opener…
if we win a hard fought nip and tuck game vs cleveland next sunday, that’ll be a sad win
September 14th, 2026 at 3:49 am
and the o-line on a whole*
September 14th, 2026 at 8:30 am
Ready for Mike Tomlin.
September 14th, 2026 at 8:59 am
A lot of new faces on d, it will several more games to get everyone in the right place at the right time and start understanding the natural anticipation defensively flows. They need much more time at game speed.
September 14th, 2026 at 9:00 am
A lot of new faces on d, it will take several more games to get everyone in the right place at the right time and start developing the natural anticipation of how our defensive flows. They need much more time at game speed.
September 14th, 2026 at 9:16 am
One player in NFL history to debut with a sack and a pick-six. Good start for the kid. Vey happy for him.
September 14th, 2026 at 11:25 am
Gift int saved trotters performance and azalone well let’s just say he was terrible and looked worse than Voss ever did.