The 2026 Bucs Season Could Be A Turning Point
January 15th, 2026
“Mr. Glazer, you really should watch Dante Moore’s tape against Iowa.”
Joe is a football fan, not an NFL elitist or a college football purist. Joe likes football. Period. So “this Joe” pays as much attention to college and NFL equally.
(If it wasn’t for working at Bucs games, this Joe would never think of leaving the house on a football weekend. Joe remembers the late great GOB — Gatekeeper of Booze — Chris Thomas of WDAE radio used to say if anyone watched more than 12 hours of football in a weekend, they needed counseling. Ha, 12 hours is barely a tailgate for Joe. On a typical football weekend, including Thursday, Friday and Monday night football, Joe can pack in 30 hours, no problem. The other Joe is content to watch double-digit NFL preseason games and most regular-season games on condensed replay. #B1GAfterDark, #BigXIIAfterDark.)
Anyway, Oregon star quarterback Dante Moore announced he’s staying with the Ducks for one more year.
What does this have to do with the Bucs? A lot, possibly.
This season could be pivotal for the Bucs franchise. If the 2026 season goes sideways like what happened this past season, the Bucs could look a whole lot different in 14 months.
If the Bucs have another losing record in 2026, you could see the followng guys, whether via retirement, contracts expiring or executive decisions, not be around One Buc Palace a year from now if the Bucs can’t get back on track: Todd Bowles, Mike Evans, Baker Mayfield, Chris Godwin, Lavonte David, Calijah Kancey, YaYa Diaby, Chase McLaughlin and Vita Vea. They could all be gone in February 2027.
So why does Moore come into play? Let’s say Baker Mayfield — and Joe sure hopes this doesn’t happen because Joe likes the man a lot — doesn’t get a new contract this summer and has another season where he collapses down the stretch and/or starts spraying the field with picks. Would anyone really believe Team Glazer would still drop a bag of Team Glazer loot in his lap? Mayfield’s contract expires in February 2027.
If Team Glazer has second thoughts, there may be a light at the end of the tunnel. With Moore entering the 2027 draft, one shaping up to be very nice for quarterbacks. Here are some who may be available in 2027:
C.J. Carr, Notre Dame
Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
Josh Hoover, Indiana
Sam Leavitt, LSU
Jayden Maiava, USC
Arch Manning, Texas
Dante Moore, Oregon
Julian Sayin, Ohio State
Let’s say if four or five of those are in the 2027 draft. If the Bucs are of the mind to draft a quarterback of the future, that would be the time.
So say Mayfield doesn’t play to whatever level that would make Team Glazer feel comfortable cutting him a large check with lots of zeros. With the aforementioned Bucs possibly all gone, wouldn’t it then behoove Team Glazer and Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht to hit the reset button and start building for the future?
January 15th, 2026 at 3:58 am
Our DEFENSIVE GURU head coach will have the ship righted and we will be picking 32nd!🤣🤣🤣🤣
January 15th, 2026 at 4:09 am
You know things are going well when we’re already looking ahead multiple NFL draft’s for what to do with future Top-10 picks.
Back to the dark ages we go.
January 15th, 2026 at 4:21 am
Or finally get a top edge rush..as long as todd isnt coaching him.
January 15th, 2026 at 4:41 am
Yes…it could be. Or it could not be. Who cares at this point? 🙄
January 15th, 2026 at 4:42 am
Headline: The 2025 was already a turning point for the Bucs.
we went from perennial playoff team back to the yucs
January 15th, 2026 at 4:44 am
This is correct. It’s why many of us believe the glazers are soft tanking or ag t least giving themselves the chance of doing so. You want options no matter what and not canning Bowes this year does exactly that. You can take an entire 12 months to get ahead of your competition and perform a HC search.
The last thing anyone needs to be afraid of is a 4-13 season. What we need to be afraid of is winning 8,9,10 games because it gives the glazers the option of continuing with mediocrity.
Barring a dramatic turnaround, and we all know we won’t be talking about that 12 months from now, the team needs a new voice at HC and it needs to be an offensive mind that can modernize the way the team is managed. It doesnt need to be a complete reset as there are plenty of pieces worth keeping on the oline, at receiver, at running back, and in the secondary to name a few positions.
All you have to do is look at Coen. 4-13 to 13-4. A good coach knows how to adapt their approach to the personnel around them.
January 15th, 2026 at 5:01 am
I think the offense will probably be good, it’s Bowles and his wonky defense that need fixing/won’t be fixed until he’s gone.
January 15th, 2026 at 5:31 am
Hey Joe, thanks for mentioning Chris Thomas. I listened to him and my buddy Steve “Big Dog” Duemig up until they both passed. R. I. P. Chris and Steve. Go Bucs
January 15th, 2026 at 5:44 am
Joe, I wonder what you think of Mayfield having a different OC for every year of his NFL career? Or, how do walk-through practices help with timing when playing at full speed? A lot of fans seem to expect Mayfield to carry the team on his back. Sam darnold throws interceptions, but no one is screaming for his head on a platter. Why? Because Seattle’s D backs him up with solid, consistent play. Any comments?
January 15th, 2026 at 5:46 am
Sorry Joe, And I love your passion for the game. But I have given up on the college game after being a rabid fan for most of my life. SEC fan since the Bear Bryant days. Came to one of our practices once and got to meet him. Hoosier fan because my dad loved the hoops teams of Bobby Knight. Sadly it is not really college ball anymore in my opinion. So I’m out for the forseable future.
Go Bucs!
January 15th, 2026 at 5:51 am
I’ve watched baker since he came into the league. His up and downs seem to follow a pattern aligning with good or bad OCs.
January 15th, 2026 at 5:53 am
I’m sorry to say it but another lost decade is on its way 🤷🏻♂️ I have no faith in Todd and there won’t be any good coaches available next year.
January 15th, 2026 at 5:57 am
Joe, you’re playing “Let’s Pretend”? I know meaningful things to write about are fewer, but you’re dreaming.
January 15th, 2026 at 6:21 am
So, under this hypothesis, the Glazers would not be willing to offer Baker big pay but some other team would? And Baker would uproot his family again and go for that bigger check? Gotta be a pretty desperate team to offer that kind of loot.
January 15th, 2026 at 6:27 am
Purplebeard
Jalen Hurts has had a different OC every year for like the past 7 years going back including NFL and college. That hasn’t stopped him from reaching 2 SBs and winning one. And yes, he didnt do it by himself just saying the different OC thing isnt a good excuse.
Anywho, this is what I’ve been saying for months. This upcoming season is tank season for the Bucs thats why Bowles was retained. They know he’s not good and they’re counting on him to deliver that top 10 pick. Baker is going to Baker this year, and that means he’ll have a game or three where he looks great, but the majority of his games will be average to bad. That’s who he is and who he has been and that works in the Bucs favor to secure that pick.
Guys this upcoming season is the season smart fans knew was coming but the Bucs tried to kick the can down the road to scotch tape together this “SB roster”. It didnt work, A for effort. Now it’s time to rebuild…FOR THE FUTURE.
This team needs a young offensive HC and young QB for LONG TERM SUCCESS. Bringing in HCs and QBs that have lost with previous teams doesn’t work. You cant build around that.
So don’t feel bad about the team tanking, this year will definitely look different in 14 months. If not, then the owners really don’t care about winning.
January 15th, 2026 at 6:31 am
The 2026 Season Could Be A Turning Point For Bucs
Well, what else would it be?
January 15th, 2026 at 6:36 am
If the Bucs fix their OLine depth issues, Mayfield should be ok…we shall see.
The DLine and LB positions need serious upgrades…we shall see
All 3 phases of the team need an effective coaching staff…we shall see
January 15th, 2026 at 6:40 am
My exact thoughts as soon as I heard he was returning to school. Actually, it has already been HUGE on my mind, even before he decided to return (as expected). But, what about the Mahomes little “wannabe” from Nebraska Lmao… dude is a clown LoL.
There’s a whoooole lot more though, than JUST QB’s in this next season’s extremely LOADED 2027 Draft-Class. Could be FIVE WR’s taken in the 1st-Round, led by Jeremiah Smith. I REALLY LIKE Cam Coleman… A FREAK. Arch could come out, too!!!! Todd McShay said that it is an “ALL-TIME” Class, that could be THE STRONGEST Draft Class EVER. Since, they even started tracking it back in the fricking 1960’s. INSANE.
The great thing is if WE SUCK… We have soooo many players we can move before the deadline, to LOAD TF UP on 2027 Picks!!!! It could be VERY exciting. I mean, you’ll be able to get 2nd-Round Talent in typical ‘weaker’ year’s drafts, in the 4TH freaking round. And, fringe 1st-Rounders to early 2nd-Round talent, all throughout the 3rd. So, it could be HUGE for a Bucs potential rebuild.
I listed several players the other day, but hopefully Godwin is healthy and he’s having a solid season. Cause, we can move HIM and MIKE. Potentially, even Baker as a hired gun if a “Contender” had an injury at QB!? Vea. Could possibly even get out of the McCollum contract, but he’ll prob still be straight garbage in the same old same Bowles system. And, if he does miraculously have a good season, then he might be worth hanging onto after all. Winfield Junior. Maybe, Kancey if he’s still standing… Though, you’d prob wanna hang onto him if he is… BUT, do you REALLY wanna offer HIM a big extension… Idk!?
But, we’ve definitely got pieces to move, as long as they are ‘healthy’ at the deadline. Should free up a lot of $$$ for a brand new HC and GM to be able to go HOG-WILD in Free Agency too, IF as long as the Glazers will allow them to!? Well, put it this way… THEY FRICKING BETTER. Or, there’s noooo way you’re ever getting a strong new GM and ‘top-tier’ level HC for 2027, to begin with. It’s definitely going to be interesting, at the very least. LOTS of options.
January 15th, 2026 at 6:42 am
@MadMax
Even if he does end up going I’m sure Bowles will leave everything behind for the next coach on how the D should be run. He’ll want to be involved in it still.
January 15th, 2026 at 6:59 am
Positive reminders of what could happen. Thinking, Jason is going to be very busy this coming season and 2027.
January 15th, 2026 at 7:00 am
why the kicker best player on team defense guru i gotta laugh
January 15th, 2026 at 7:00 am
PurpleBeard … ‘I’ve watched baker since he came into the league. His up and downs seem to follow a pattern aligning with good or bad OCs.’
True, but looks to me like it goes deeper than that with Baker. He NEEDS a quality TEAM around him to be successful. He’s had 3 winning seasons in his 8-year career: 2020 with Cleveland (11-5) then 2023 (9-8) and 2024 (10-7) with Tampa Bay. His career starting record: 58-62.
Analyze those 3 winning years & the only real commonality I find is that it looks like those were the years he had the best OLines protecting him. I suspect most QBs could say the same thing though: protect them & they’re all good. I love his ‘grit’, but this past year turned me off on him being our franchise QB for years to come.
January 15th, 2026 at 7:05 am
purplebeard says: “A lot of fans seem to expect Mayfield to carry the team on his back. Sam darnold throws interceptions, but no one is screaming for his head on a platter.”
That’s because HE WINS. Sam Darnold is like 28-6 with TWO ‘different’ teams playing in THE ‘TOUGHEST’ Divisions in FOOTBALL too, over the past 2-seasons. And, he typically makes up for those “interceptions.” And, NO ONE is calling for HIM to be a ‘potential’ MVP candidate either. Also, I don’t see or hear all of the biased and delusional comments about him like I do with Baker. Everyone else by now, already KNOWS who he is for the most part. And, that is a younger, healthier, bigger, stronger, more athletic ATHLETE than Baker.
January 15th, 2026 at 7:07 am
Ya know it’s bad enough that the moronic Glazer family didn’t fire Bowles when every single metric screamed fire this guy immediately, But to make matters even worse they didn’t even order him to step down as DC and hire a competent one.
What is wrong with these inbreds? This organization has gone from SB hopefuls back to the lost decade in one football season. Pretty god damn remarkable.
January 15th, 2026 at 7:13 am
DR Says: “most QBs could say the same thing though: protect them & they’re all good.”
That is so spot on. Correct. It’s THE NFL. These are ‘professional’ QB’s. Hell, they can ALL play! They’ve all been STUDS and ‘special’ TALENTS, ever since they’ve stepped onto a football field.
January 15th, 2026 at 7:24 am
They very WORST thing possible, would be ANOTHER ‘middling’ team sitting at 3-5 or something, and they decide to skip over the ‘deadline’ in an fort to SAVE Todd’s (and JL’s) JOBS. When, we ALL already KNOW that we don’t stand a chance in HELL. And, we end up finishing 8-9 again, and absolutely BLOWING our chances in that 2027 Draft. Another mid 1st and ZERO stockpile of picks. Just Rinse & Repeat. It would be totally NEGLIGENT.
January 15th, 2026 at 7:31 am
WOW. If true… Stephen Ross says he supposedly ‘turned down’ a $15-BILLION OFFER to sell the DOLPHINS!? I know that I saw where they were one of the most valuable franchises, BUT DAMN. Now, that is ridiculous. Wonder what Jerry could get then!? Glazers should definitely SELL, if that is a real offer. They could possibly get $10+BIL then!? Maybe, from the same damn people… Hell, I’d at least make the call, if I were them. They don’t know anything about FOOTBALL, or really seem to care. Nowhere close to some owners. Maybe, just barely more than others.
January 15th, 2026 at 7:37 am
Sell Glazers Sell!
January 15th, 2026 at 7:40 am
Need to draft QB to replace Moonball Blooper Bilgewater. One of Bowzos greatest blunders.
January 15th, 2026 at 7:45 am
We are Pittsburgh South. 8-10 wins gets in or just outside the playoffs and picking 13 to 18 in the draft every for years. Just treading water, not getting substantially better. What has Pittsburgh done since Big Ben left? First round loses or not in the playoffs. It’s the same here and always will be with Todd and Todd running the ship. Keep in mind Jags did what they did after losing their #1 pick in season to injury. No excuses they grabbed Jacobi Meyers. We sat on our hands playing 4rth rate guards and NO pass rush.
January 15th, 2026 at 7:57 am
Here comes the draft a QB crap again. The Buccaneers have never drafted and developed a Franchise QB. What in the world would make anyone think they can do it now?
January 15th, 2026 at 8:15 am
DBS – Mike McDaniel.
January 15th, 2026 at 8:34 am
The only time the Bucs will have a turning point is when Todd Bowles id Fired. Its gonna be 3 down and 28 all year next season.
January 15th, 2026 at 8:34 am
Why can’t we have a real conversation about the teams refusal to make Todd hire a defensive coordinator. It’s pure insanity.
January 15th, 2026 at 8:36 am
Bee,
You are correct, I do not know why teams like the 49ers picked up Steve Young, he was awful with us! Want something more recent? Okay! Why would the Rams want matthew stafford? All he did was lose in Detroit! I am not too sure why the Rams would get Kurt Warner after he was awful with the Packers! What about from last year to this year? Okay! Look at Drake Maye, the kid is crushing it. Went from an awful OC to possibly the greatest OC ever in the game.
Your take is a casual take. Please do more research and have an open and calm mind when looking at people/coaches.
January 15th, 2026 at 8:51 am
The Bucs should never waste a top pick on a QB. So few pan out. Put the resources into OLine and receivers. You can always sign someone’s failed draft pick later. Like Darnold, or Goff, or Stanford, or Mayfield. It’s just too risky to draft a young QB with limited talent around him. By the time you have accumulated talent, they have failed.
January 15th, 2026 at 8:53 am
“C.J. Carr, Notre Dame
Trinidad Chambliss, Ole Miss
Josh Hoover, Indiana
Sam Leavitt, LSU
Jayden Maiava, USC
Arch Manning, Texas
Dante Moore, Oregon
Julian Sayin, Ohio State”
Smart Joe, how are you going to forget LaNorris Sellers, DJ Lagway, Nico Iamaleva, and Darian Mensah?! Baker or Not, we need to get one of these guys and be smart about a succession plan for life with/after Mayfield.
Packers invested in Jordan Love with then Aaron Rodgers playing at a high level and Lamar Jackson backed up Joe Flacco year one. Point being, it’s happened to better QBs with QBs who are now better QBs.
Chambliss might me coming out in this draft. The QB tried to apply for another year of eligibility and was denied. That kid looked good the later it got in the season for Ole Miss and showed out on the big stage.
Idc what Licht & our scouts plan is, but take a flier on one this year and maybe, if necessary take a look at next years class as well just to be sure and safe. I wouldn’t be against two developing prospects at QB beyond 2026.
Just because we haven’t done it before, doesn’t mean we stop swinging. I keep seeing this sentiment about QB or the pass rush, and I’m like “so do you just stop trying?”
January 15th, 2026 at 8:58 am
Keep Your Money
So, just to be clear, are you comparing Baker to 2 SB winning QBs Stafford and Young? One is a HOFer who had a HOF coach and Stafford and McVay will probably be HOF mentions at the end of their careers. Thats comparing apples to engines.
To get Stafford the Rams had to trade another talented QB to get him. No one knowledgeable and sober would compare Stafford to Baker. Lol…all the QBs you mentioned are way more talented than Baker and have gone further in the playoffs with the exception of Maye.
Face facts, if this Baker experiment was working the team wouldn’t be where it is now. Chicago, NE, CIN, Baltimore, Carolina…they all drafted young QBs and paired them with talented OCs/HCs. Thats the formula that works long term.
You need a great HC/OC and a great QB for consistent, long term competitive team. The Bucs have neither.
January 15th, 2026 at 9:01 am
Its so funny to see people scared of drafting a QB in the first round due to the Bucs past drafting or because “so few pan out”. Lol…all of yall are scared of the past.
With that logic I’m sure after yall got into a car accident you never got into a car again cause “only bad things can happen”. Lol
Man up, find a kid you like that plays QB and pull the trigger. If you’re scared go to church or stay home where it’s safe. You have to take risks if you want to win.
January 15th, 2026 at 9:14 am
Didn’t forget them. Just don’t think they are potential worthy NFL QBs you build an (NFL) team around.
January 15th, 2026 at 9:46 am
@Joe
You add them to a team that needs someone who can give you all the talent you need at the position, but time will tell. Especially Sellers, he’s whom everybody thinks Arch Manning is, minus the top tier marketing & PR that comes with the last name.
January 15th, 2026 at 10:48 am
With QB choices, I’d be careful about tanking for anyone.
Consider the Bucs last two first round tries – Josh Freeman and Jameis Winston.
Josh seemed like a good pick at first out of KSU. He won some games, had a good arm at processed information quickly. But problems came up under Raheem Morris and got worse. No one has actually come out about what it was, just one report of having to go get him for a game and he was obviously under the influence of something. Eventually Schiano took over, tried to help him, but could not. and they went with Glennon. Towards the end Josh missed the team photo and was not voted a team captain. He bounced around the league and even failed at the Canadian league
With Jameis we actually tanked for him. Big arm, big personality, but just took alot of risks and through too many interceptions. I still like him, and wouldn’t mind seeing him come back as a backup. Very talented, but just not consistant enough to win regularly, no matter how much coaching he got. Arians gave up on him after one year when Tom Brady became available.
I wonder at times if this was the start of looking for the ideal “Buccaneer Man”. QB is a crap shoot – ask the Vikings with their latest attempt or the Jets with their multiple tries. The ” can’t miss” candidates are far and few between, and even then take some time to blossom.
January 15th, 2026 at 10:58 am
By the way the 2026 year for the Bucs have been so far, its looking more and more like the coming season is MOOT!…
Missing out on all the coaching talent that is available right now for one that MOST LIKELY no team wants even for a DC at this point is TRUELY despicable…
January 15th, 2026 at 11:00 am
I hope not. Look at all the recent rebuilds….Jets, Giants, Titans, Raiders, Cardinals. Not a very good track record for rebuilds.
January 15th, 2026 at 11:08 am
i see the logic. i dont see the logic of not replacing the special teams coach who had too significant of a role in at least 4 of the losses.
special teams are about downside. any thing that goes well is a minor plus, but negatives go by a factor of 5 or more
January 15th, 2026 at 11:20 am
“With Jameis we actually tanked for him. Big arm, big personality, but just took alot of risks and through too many interceptions.”
Tanking implies losing on purpose, fact is those Bucs teams couldn’t win games no matter how hard they tried. Talent wasn’t there and the program in-house was a dog & pony show.
Instability within the franchise played a bigger part than us just deciding to lose. Just so happens we did all that losing before and even after having a first round QB.
January 15th, 2026 at 11:24 am
Warren Brooks Lynch Says:
January 15th, 2026 at 11:20 am
“With Jameis we actually tanked for him. Big arm, big personality, but just took alot of risks and through too many interceptions.”
Tanking implies losing on purpose, fact is those Bucs teams couldn’t win games no matter how hard they tried.
+++++++++++++++++
Lovie puulled his starters in the second half of the last game when we were already behind.
That’s about as blatent as you can get. And we did get the first draft pick which was used on Jameis.
January 15th, 2026 at 11:30 am
The Glazers are 100% in for 2026. That’s written in stone for the Glazers and Jason Licht’s staff.
January 15th, 2026 at 11:32 am
Our last game, the players fought hard. Unfortunately, when you have to cheer on the Saints to get into the playoffs, it was way too late for us. I agree with many others, that game probably helped Todd.
jcsycles – Yes, remember the game and thought the same. And we got Jameis. Which most of us were very happy about. Until things changed.
January 15th, 2026 at 11:44 am
I expect a top three pick in the draft.
January 15th, 2026 at 1:06 pm
“Lovie puulled his starters in the second half of the last game when we were already behind“
Bro, we were on a 5 game losing streak and our season with a 6th loss. Tanking infers losing on purpose, we finished that season 2-14. Did we win the two games because we were trying to make it look like we were trying or were we losing because that ‘14 stunk.
A moment from the last game vs. what we looked like(crap) all season?
January 15th, 2026 at 1:59 pm
I thought the 2025 season was the turning point. Buc fans deserve better than Todd Bowles who should have been relieved. No thread left on his tires. No preparation for playoff consequential games or national TV.
A major flop is a turning point. Don’t get fooled again by a team of divas instead of a hard rocking band!
January 15th, 2026 at 2:28 pm
We lost the last game to be sure. We were neck and neck with Titans for the 1st pick. We got Jameis, they got Mariotta.
Heyjude remembers.
January 15th, 2026 at 11:40 pm
Righting the ship, that’s sunk, 🤔