Jamel Dean’s Intriguing Pro Bowl Honor
December 26th, 2025
So it’s widely known that Buccaneers fans don’t rally and vote their team’s players into the Pro Bowl. Bucs fans just aren’t that into it.
Fan voting results are one-third of the criteria for a player to get the honor.
The other two-thirds go equally to coaches votes and player vote from across the NFL.
So Joe is intrigued by Bucs cornerback Jamel Dean being named an alternate to the 2026 NFC Pro Bowl team. How did Dean get there? It must have been largely via the opinions of players and coaches.
In a down year for interceptions, only three other NFC cornerbacks had more picks than the three Dean collected. So that had to be a factor, but Joe isn’t convinced Dean had a strong reputation entering this season; he had never been a Pro Bowler and the Bucs cut his pay. And there’s certainly not a lot of widespread respect for the Bucs’ pass defense around the NFL.
The NFC cornerbacks on the initial Pro Bowl roster are Jaycee Horn (Carolina), Devon Witherspoon (Seattle), Cooper DeJean and Quinyon Mitchell (Eagles).
Witherspoon has one interception this season; Mitchell has none.
If any of those players skip the Pro Bowl festivities because they’re in the Super Bowl or don’t want to attend, there’s a great chance Dean’s endless smile will be there.
That would be a quite an ironic finish to the Bucs’ season.
December 26th, 2025 at 9:58 am
One day the HoF voters will realize that pro bowl nods are fine, but hardly criteria for induction into the hall of fame. Winfield shouldn’t have made it this year, and neither should Dean be an alternate. I say that as a massive fan of Winfield Jr.
December 26th, 2025 at 10:02 am
Players know it’s a contract year for him and have thrown him a bone.
December 26th, 2025 at 10:02 am
-27 catches allowed in 56 targets, shakes out to a 48% completion pct allowed
when targeted
-1 TD allowed
-3 INTs
-348 recieving yards allowed in 16 game(21.7 yards/game)
-Only 3 games allowing a completion % >60%
-2 blitzes, 1 for a sack another for a QB Hit
-44 tackles
I think there’s enough evidence that Dean has been good for us when availabe, if his play doesn’t tell you that the play of his relief should.
One could argue, without him scoring at home against the Jets, we don’t win that game.
December 26th, 2025 at 10:05 am
The Pro Bowl should just be a mini golf game at Pirates Cove. Although, Dean would still figure out a way to get hurt.
December 26th, 2025 at 10:05 am
How on earth. He stinks!
December 26th, 2025 at 10:13 am
SB is 100% correct, they knew he took a pay cut, some dumb team will over pay, which inflates the market for everyone
December 26th, 2025 at 10:16 am
Dean is burnt toast!!! watch that play last week… running around in circles, lazy!!! Bengals can have him next year!!! Go Bucs
December 26th, 2025 at 10:20 am
So much for Jason Licht and Todd Bowles judgment of defensive players and who should be reassigned and who should not. They threw McCollum. on injured reserve just to get him off the field.
December 26th, 2025 at 10:20 am
Some of yall will say anything to save yourself from admitting you were wrong about Dean. He is a good player when healthy. That has been the issue though. So many games where he will be out mid game and then come back the next week. It is hard to depend on that and requires you to have good depth at CB when somone has to fill in for him. Puts more strain on the other starting CB to stay healthy too. This is why we’ve had games throught Dean’s career where we have to play our 4th and 5th string CB’s. See Josh Hayes and Funderburk last year
December 26th, 2025 at 10:22 am
It doesn’t make a difference
December 26th, 2025 at 10:41 am
Hmm. So does that mean that the coaches and players around the league think Mayfield is one of the best QBs in the league? On an off year? Yes. That is exactly what that means.
December 26th, 2025 at 10:48 am
Bucs fans are soft. Dean has had his best season since the SB season. He’s been healthier than usual. He’s always had the tools and it’s tough when the only two defenses you get to play are Zone or zero. Give this guy a consistent pass rush and he would thrive even more. I hope they resign him, bc the Morrison kid is not him.
December 26th, 2025 at 10:50 am
bud sez carlton davis and jamel dean are both good davis might go to superbowl all about coaching
December 26th, 2025 at 11:57 am
The totally unironic finish to the Bucs season is them losing out. Dan Marino Ewers is going to pick apart the inept defense Sunday. I don’t gamble but if I did I’d take the Dolphins and the points.
December 26th, 2025 at 12:27 pm
Dean has always bin good. Only issue has bin availability.
December 26th, 2025 at 12:32 pm
Dean allows something like a 41% completion ratio. That’s got to be the best in the league
December 26th, 2025 at 12:36 pm
I’ve always liked Dean , strange to cut someone’s pay mid season, who ends up having one of the best statistical seasons of all NFL cornerbacks. You really have your hand on the pils Licht! Congrats.
December 26th, 2025 at 12:37 pm
*pulse
December 26th, 2025 at 12:48 pm
Dean’s biggest issue, aside from his injury history, is Todd Bowles using him in soft Zone. Play Dean in man press/man coverage and he is a very good CB. Basically, Dean looks bad when Todd schemes him badly
December 26th, 2025 at 1:55 pm
Dean has been our best corner (when healthy) for quite some time. I’m sure having a few INTs this year is what put him ahead of others.
December 26th, 2025 at 2:36 pm
Nobody is as good as Dean in playing off the receiver. Just wonder when you give receiver a 10 yard cushion how you still get beat deep as Dean often does? His best defensive cover is a QB who throws too long. It has saved Dean many times except for last week at the end of first half. It’s laughable that a persistently horrible pass defense gets ,not one, but 2 Pro Bowl defensive backs.
December 26th, 2025 at 2:53 pm
Good thing Blows sat him for a rookie so we could lose games.
December 26th, 2025 at 3:04 pm
Jamel Dean is a fluke.
December 26th, 2025 at 3:11 pm
More low IQ so-called Bucs fans who are too stupid to know what they’re watching. They so dumb they think a guy playing zone is ‘beat’ because a receiver runs right past them – they literally have no what is going on, but they’re going to yell and scream and demand everyone is cut because the player literally did their job correctly.
It’s like all the idiots yelling about Winfield in the Falcons game, where he’s literally doing his job correctly, but Vildor blowes the coverage – and these morons demand Winfield gets benched. Again, they’re too dumb to know what they’re watching, but they’re going to loudly tell you what ‘really’ happened.
December 26th, 2025 at 3:26 pm
2024-2025
Allowed 2 TDs in last 2 seasons.
45% and 41.5% completion % allowed.
Passer rating allowed -53.5 and 26.6
Between December 2023 and late 2024 Dean went nearly 750 coverage snaps without a single TD = 2nd longest streak in the NFL
Currently ranks #1 among all NFL corners in completion rate allowed and passer rating allowed. His 26.6 passer rating is “historically low” according to Gemini.
Anybody still dissing Dean needs to move on….. He’s been one of the few consistent bright spots on the team.
December 26th, 2025 at 4:19 pm
Now I got it. Those missed tackles, poor man coverage (like last Sunday), lace curtain zone coverage that Dean specializes in are just a figment of imagination. Finally, a GM who overpays all Tampa defenders, actually got Dean to take a pay cut after his invisible defense in 2024. Finally, a pass defense that some call the league’s worst is headed by a couple of All Pro’s like Dean and Winfield. Thanks for reminding me how great those guys have been.
December 26th, 2025 at 4:33 pm
Dean is a solid CB2, when he’s healthy. We haven’t had a CB1 since we traded Carlton Davis. Still don’t.
McCollum isn’t even a CB3, but why does it matter – $48m later, he could care less. And plays that way.
December 26th, 2025 at 4:37 pm
Man I cannot stand the hate Dean gets. You “fans” need to educate yourselves on the sport you allow to get you so angry every Sunday. Dean, WHEN HEALTHY, is a top 10 CB in the league. He just is. Get over it. He doesn’t get “beat” often — he is in his position that is dictated by the goofy Zone Blitz scheme Todd calls. Learn the difference between ZONES and MAN. Defenders are flat footed and horizontal when playing Zone — aka, in a spot, harder to turn and run if a receiver blows by them. But they aren’t SUPPOSED to because they’re in their spot — if the safety behind Dean messes his coverage up, then it makes Dean or whoever look dumb.
This sport isn’t hard, guys. As much as y’all want to get emotional about this guy, you don’t even understand what you’re watching. PFF knows; they get paid to watch countless hours of tape on starting players. Trust me, they’re smarter than you sitting with your wedgie, beer in hand, angry at a sport you half understand.
TLDR — Dean is great and we will miss him when he’s gone. And he will be gone, because of fans.
December 26th, 2025 at 4:43 pm
If you are telling me that Dean was in a zone when he was beat deep Sunday, it is obvious who doesn’t understand football. 10 seconds left in half and Dean gets beat when everyone knew the throw had to be into the end zone with no timeout left.
December 26th, 2025 at 5:02 pm
“Anybody still dissing Dean needs to move on….. He’s been one of the few consistent bright spots on the team.“
Meanwhile there are fans in here trying to make Dean responsible for the entirety of the secondarys’ performance, but blows a gasket and has vitriol any time anybody questions the QB. If you can’t see he’s been good for us when he’s available you’re just choosing ignorance
December 26th, 2025 at 5:07 pm
He has been so good he took a sizeable pay cut in 2025.
December 26th, 2025 at 5:30 pm
Same guys that gush over Dean, proclaimed McCollum TB1 last year and at the beginning of this season. That one did work out very well either. Just keep reminding us how wonderful the Bucs pass defense is. Quinn will prove the point tomorrow, again.
December 26th, 2025 at 8:48 pm
Tom Petty Says:
December 26th, 2025 at 3:26 pm
2024-2025
Allowed 2 TDs in last 2 seasons.
45% and 41.5% completion % allowed.
Passer rating allowed -53.5 and 26.6
————–
It really is remarkable how stupid most of the people commenting are. Again, they have no idea what they’re watching – they don’t understand what zone is or how it works, and how 99% of what they see on the field isn’t what they think it is.
December 26th, 2025 at 8:48 pm
Gipper Says:
December 26th, 2025 at 5:07 pm
He has been so good he took a sizeable pay cut in 2025.
==========
What was the big pay cut, what were the numbers and why did he take it?
December 26th, 2025 at 10:27 pm
I heard Bowles in a press conference saying we lost because of the play before the half (Dean getting beat) , the kickoff return late (Bullocks boneheaded penalty) and the final turnover. The mistake before half was definitely Bowles fault since he’s blaming someone. Winfield, who I really like, was full blitz and when he was picked up he should have gotten his arms up. I don’t think he’d of had to block that pass, he’d have probably interrupted the throw. Winfield is just a hair off but not much. Dean is a whale of a corner and should never have let that rookie get behind him. But a good pass and catch will beat a defensive back most of the time. The bring the house blitz call absolutely backfired. If our safety (or safeties) would have been back they attempt a field goal. Only thing Bowles could have possibly been thinking was the blitz was gonna be successful and push the Panthers out of field goal range. Major miscalculation that cost us. I don’t think Dean actually took much of a pay cut. Had some incentives (staying on the field) and interceptions. It’s refreshing he said he didn’t want to go anywhere else. If he’s healthy he’s a dawg. Plus he has the Super Bowl ring so he knows what we’ve got to do.
December 27th, 2025 at 7:22 am
Whether a player makes the Pro Bowl also depends on the competition. This has been an extremely weak year for cornerbacks and Jamal for most his career has been decent. You might consider this a little bit. The Oscar John Wayne got for Rooster Cogburn. It wasn’t his best movie but he’d been skipped over many times for far better movie roles, but in a very weak year for Best Leading Actor performances, the Academy decided to recognize his overall body of work. This is no different for Jamal Dean being recognized as an All-Pro alternate for 2025-2026. Jamal was almost cut and challenged this year and he rose up and met the challenge. I’m glad to see a Buc get some recognition when in other years, players are often overlooked.
December 27th, 2025 at 8:44 am
Giving up that TD at the half was inexcusable.
December 27th, 2025 at 11:35 pm
The fans that say Dean stinks are just stupid and don’t know what they’re watching. Dean has been solid when on the field. Not just for us but across the entire nfl. CBs have the hardest job in sports