Who Are The Quitters?
November 29th, 2025
Tampa Bay’s remaining opponents have a combined record of 25-43 this season.
That’s great news for the Bucs’ playoff hopes, and for a phenomenon articulated by Bucco Bruce Arians that is sure to affect the team soon, maybe as early as tomorrow.
That’s the NFL reality of bad teams having players effectively quitting on the season. Dudes check out mentally and make business decisions in games to stay healthy. It’s certainly not every player, but it definitely happens on bad teams.
And it especially happens on a club whose head coach is on thin ice, like Arizona’s Jonathan Gannon. His Cardinals face the Bucs tomorrow.
Arians visited the Barstool Gambling show last year and listened to host and former NFL linebacker Will Compton, the retired linebacker, reference how he had been a part of bad teams and saw players spending far too much time focused on postseason vacation plans instead of football. Arians eagerly jumped in and said, “They’re checking out at Thanksgiving.”
Joe saw evidence of this during The Lost Decade of Buccaneers football (2009-2018).
A former Bucs assistant coach once told Joe privately that many assistant coaches are glued to media late in a bad season because they’re concerned about their job security jobs — in addition to exploring potential opportunities with new teams.
That can be a problem, he said. Coaches also get distracted when a team is circling the drain.
A fan or even a general observer could say the Bucs mailed it in Sunday night when too many players quit against the Rams. Joe painfully is forced to acknowledge that point. However, Joe could also say it wasn’t Thanksgiving yet and the Bucs’ three game homestand, which starts tomorrow, will answer nearly all questions about the team.
November 29th, 2025 at 12:58 pm
The Glazers.
November 29th, 2025 at 1:06 pm
Zyon McCollum is definitely in constant contact with his travel agent.
November 29th, 2025 at 1:24 pm
I don’t think any of the Bucs players quit against the Rams. However, they did not play inspired football especially after the failed 4’th down try in Bucs territory early in the game. I think the psychology of it was what affected a lot of players. For the Head Coach to take a risk like that so early in the game signaled to the players if we don’t make a first down here the game is over. Certainly the Bucs players played like it was over from the on.
November 29th, 2025 at 1:32 pm
Bud Licht.
November 29th, 2025 at 2:25 pm
Joe … ‘A fan or even a general observer could say the Bucs mailed it in Sunday night when too many players quit against the Rams. Joe painfully is forced to acknowledge that point.’
That’s unfair Joe. There’s a BIG difference between quitting and just plain lack of talent. And especially when some circumspect coaching is thrown into the mix.
I tend to believe that the Bucs are VERY inexperienced in a number of positions. Quality offenses are taking advantage. In our 6 wins, Bucs’ defense has given up only 1 rushing TD of over 20 yds and 3 passing TDs of over 20 yds. The average ranking for those 6 offenses was #20.
In our 5 losses, Bucs’ defense has given up 3 rushing TDs of over 20 yds and 6 passing TDs of over 20 yds. The average ranking for those 5 offenses was #8. Significant difference, especially when you’re talking about our #26 ranked defense.
Bucs will be VERY lucky to improve our defense to the point where we finish #15 or #16 (like last year). We didn’t address known defensive problems this past off-season, and look where it got us.
November 29th, 2025 at 2:25 pm
I think that last week the Bucs were tired, finishing the most grueling part of their schedule, sandwiched between a bye and Thanksgiving. By contrast, the Rams, at home, are peaking and Hollywood happy to show off on TV. Add in that the Bucs were holding out their injured players on the cusp of returning and, voila, a blowout. Two teams physically and mentally at opposite ends. Yes, the D hass looked bad, but over the past weeks they have faced three MVP-quality QB’s anxious to show off against Mayfield, who, himself, has been getting MVP ink. I don’t think anyone quit, but I think everone knew the arc of the schedule and wanted to survive until the easier –and more critical– division games started.
That’s Sunday.
November 29th, 2025 at 2:26 pm
Not just “losing” teams, as it appears some of our D players have done that too.
November 29th, 2025 at 2:35 pm
LakelandSteve makes several good points! I also think it’s hard for players to continue to play inspired and focused when they see their HC standing on the sideline with a look of total despair early in games. The past two games remind me of what Bowles looked like during the last Bucs/Cowboys playoff loss. Perhaps a look of confidence/hope might help the players keep their edge. It’s worth a try Bowles! What you exude now is not working! You look like you expect to lose and guess what?
November 29th, 2025 at 2:48 pm
Stupid Me,……….I thought this article might be about the three win Cardinals circling the drain and checking out! No, another round of putdowns and curb stomping of our own team,….Fun times! Same crap the last five years (super Bowl season included). Half of you wanted Brady gone after the 4th down debacle then went out and bought Brady jerseys after the boat parade.
November 29th, 2025 at 3:01 pm
“mailed it in” –
The “psychology” of going for it on 4th down-
Whatever,
the Bucs missed on their opening drive when an open Egbuka was not thrown to immediately by a happy feet Mayfield which would have been a huge play if not a touchdown.
Then Otton showed his juggling skills on a pick 6 by Rams
In the meantime, Stafford was enjoying a 5 second drop back while waiting for a receiver to get open and McCollum was showing everyone how Not to play CB in NFL.
Then Mayfield got hurt and any hopes of a comeback were over.
They played like sht, no excuses.
November 29th, 2025 at 3:02 pm
draft a pass rusher. its not against the law
November 29th, 2025 at 3:03 pm
You know your team is cooked when looking forward to a weak schedule is the only hope of the playoffs.
November 29th, 2025 at 3:11 pm
McCollum likes to watch
November 29th, 2025 at 3:26 pm
Dont warn anyone. Just sit them dowm
November 29th, 2025 at 3:34 pm
destinjohnny Says:
November 29th, 2025 at 3:02 pm
draft a pass rusher. its not against the law
^^^^^^^^
They drafted a few, but JTS and Braswell played like 8th Round picks.
November 29th, 2025 at 3:48 pm
If even anyone has to worry bout players quitting it’s the Bucs. They currently play like the season ended in New Orleans.
November 29th, 2025 at 4:27 pm
McCollum is trying out there, he’s just getting beat by better players. He’s a solid #3 and great #4 CB imho.
November 29th, 2025 at 4:53 pm
I am not seeing loafing or quitting when I watch them play. I’d say it has more to do with what I don’t see is that angry mean killer attitude..
You look at some teams out there and you see their defenses and it looks like they’re going out and they are just going to beat the cr@p out of you
I feel like we have gentleman players who have great attitude and great character but are missing that killer instinct.
I’d say outside of Jacob Parish and Smith on defense that that attitude is definitely sorely missing. The last time I saw it on a Buccaneers defense was when Suh was still with us.
I blame Jason Licht as I think his drafting has stayed away from guys that are perceived character problems. But sometimes a character trait of aggressivity and violence is exactly what you need on defense provided the person is not an a-hole or has committed any crimes…
November 29th, 2025 at 5:00 pm
I keep seeing fire Jason licht posts. Fire him and he will be scooped up as a gm in a matter of days. He is respected all around the league. You fired Dungy, Ran off Steve Young , Doug Williams, Jon Gruden. This has to be the dumbest fan base in all of professional sports.
November 29th, 2025 at 5:30 pm
@JoeInMichigan
I wouldn’t even say 8th round picks. I’d say more like somebody they found in a flag football league. They’d probably have a hard enough time in the flag football league, too!
November 29th, 2025 at 5:41 pm
Because they have contracts. Regardless they’ll get paid it’s not like Working Class People Like ourselves. I don’t do my job I get fired. You don’t do your job you become a head coach. Fire Todd
November 29th, 2025 at 7:13 pm
Why not just commit to running the ball 40 plus times? Like the Bears just did to the Eagles. You have 3 capable, if not outstanding, backs. Luke is killing people again at RT, Feeney is a good run blocker, and Barton is MUCH better firing off the ball than trying to hold ground pass blocking.
November 29th, 2025 at 7:23 pm
No NFC South team will quit against Bucs. They want to be spoiler and dethrone the South champs.
November 29th, 2025 at 8:40 pm
It’s going to be a pretty entertaining game — 30+ points from our offense — the kind of game that ticket holders who “mailed it in” are going to regret not attending themselves.
A month ago, prior to the tough-3 game run, many commented that if we just won one of those games, we’d be good. The first two were winnable, but we couldn’t finish.
My point is that our boys have gutted it out with a depleted offense in our toughest schedule stretch. It may have looked like the season was over after the Rams took us to the woodshed, but the Rams are red-hot and our boys were simply beaten down in the schedule. Let it go.
Our boys are going 6-0 to finish the regular season. And — when they finish, they will look a lot different from the way they looked last Sunday.
Call me on it — and lose.