Real Deal Or Contract Year Bump?
March 17th, 2026
Coach him up, Coach.
Joe supposes these questions will linger until Al-Quadin Muhammad proves it wasn’t about his contract.
Look, Joe is happy as can be the Bucs signed a guy who had double-digit sacks last year in Muhammad. But Joe is not an a-hole wondering how a guy who was 30 broke out for 11 sacks, a career year.
His previous career-high was 6.
Nearly doubling your sack total at the same time as being in a contract year — at 30 — well, it raises a Derrick Brooks-like eyebrow. And despite Muhammad is not known for playing the run well (allegedly), he also had a career-high last year in tackles for loss (9) and quarterback hits (20).
So why would a savvy guy like Dan Campbell let Muhammad walk? BSPN reported Muhammad’s one-year contract could be worth up to $6 million. You mean the Lions are so strangled by the cap they couldn’t find a way to squeeze Muhammad onto the roster?
Joe doesn’t care if Muhammad has developed into a one-trick pony. If that one trick means he can make quarterbacks eat dirt, Joe welcomes him with open arms.
And if Bucs coach Todd Bowles has a hangup with Muhammad not being a good run defender (allegedly), then Bowles better find a way to adapt, adjust and overcome.
If Bowles doesn’t find a way to manufacture more sacks this year, he may find plenty of time to devise a new defense next January on his own time.
If that means playing a guy who can’t defend the run, well, time to suck it up and — here’s a novel concept — maybe coach Muhammad up to play the run better.
March 17th, 2026 at 7:04 am
Seen it before. Let it play out. Could have been worse.
At least he wanted to be here. So what if it’s about the money.
March 17th, 2026 at 7:05 am
Coach up a 30 year old veteran?
March 17th, 2026 at 7:24 am
What would be interesting is to see when Muhammad got his sacks.
Were they at the end of a game when you know the other team had to throw to come back? Or were they in part of the game where the outcome of the game was still in question?
March 17th, 2026 at 7:42 am
I don’t know what to make of it either. He was drafted in the 6th round by the Saints in 2017 and played in 4 games. The turk got him in final cuts the next year. The Colts signed him for a while and apparently in the mix he played a year in Chicago and then back to the Colts before spending the last couple of years with Detroit. The guy has most likely never enjoyed much playing time nor gotten many reps til last year. I’d say he’s a late bloomer. He’s worth an inexpensive flyer. He’s listed as a DE sometimes, but he’s not very big. 6’3″ 250. He cannot possibly be worse than Reddick or Brasswell. I’m happy to give him a shot.
March 17th, 2026 at 7:46 am
Out of curiosity I looked up his 40 time. You don’t wanna know. 4.88. Maybe he was having a bad day.
March 17th, 2026 at 7:47 am
“He cannot possibly be worse than Reddick or Brasswell. I’m happy to give him a shot.”
This is reasonable. Some folks seem to be acting like this solves the edge russh problem. It doesn’t. He’s a guy who definitely benefited playing opposite Hutchison. Last I checked, the Bucs don’t have a guy like that.
Maybe he’s a late bloomer, but more than likely he regresses to the mean, with maybe a bump if the Bucs use him more.
March 17th, 2026 at 7:53 am
we’ll see how it works out….im definitely rooting for him but we’ll have to see how it shakes out…
GO BUCS!!!!
March 17th, 2026 at 7:55 am
Wow, you seem really down on us signing an Edge who had 11 sacks & 20 QB hits last season in only 457 def snaps. We just paid $6 mil for a part-time OLB who almost single-handedly produced as many sacks as all of our OLBs together did last season (our 5 OLBs got 14 sacks in 2025).
Last summer JBF was glowing about signing Haason Reddick for only $14 mil. He’d gotten 50.5 sacks in the 4 yrs from 2020-2023 but had fallen on hard times (1 sack) in 2024 with the Jets. Obviously we were sure we’d signed a high-producer who simply needed to get away from the Jets. Right. Reddick produced all of 2.5 sacks & 6 QB hits in 570 def snaps here in 2025.
I’m ecstatic that we added Muhammad. I don’t know how well he plays the run, but he looks to be fairly decent in Pass Defense. Hasn’t been targeted a whole bunch (21 times in his 7 years), but has only allowed 13 completions for 61.9% Completions Allowed. Bowles will find a way to use him.
March 17th, 2026 at 8:14 am
Yea, here’s a cut up of AQMs sacks and plays he made in 2025, so we’re not out here just crediting the work he put in to him playing with Aiden Hutchinson and basing his projection off not having Aiden Hutchinson.
You’ll see AQM making plays on the ball with Hutch in coverage, or Hutch getting blocked, or Hutch not even in the frame, and you’ll see him beat Hutch to the QB on at least 4 of his 11 sacks
You’ll also see run defense, and AQM lining up inside.
March 17th, 2026 at 8:33 am
Isn’t he in a contract year again?
March 17th, 2026 at 8:36 am
If I remember correctly, Hutch plays on the Lions’ left side, so was AQM on the right side? Now Bowles will move him to the left side? I don’t like it.
March 17th, 2026 at 8:37 am
I’m probably in the minority here but….I like the Muhammed pick up but I’d like to see the Bucs resign Reddick for near league minimum as a depth piece. Low risk high reward move?
March 17th, 2026 at 8:39 am
He was suspended Dec 2023 six games for using PEDs. Only played eight games in 2024, then broke out in 2025 playing a full season with 11 sacks. Perhaps he learned the value of having his body in top shape and found a way to keep it that way playing within the rules? Time will tell, but banking on him for double digit sacks again would not be wise. Good signing, but we’ll need a lot more to go right for that D-line to become feared.
March 17th, 2026 at 8:44 am
“If I remember correctly, Hutch plays on the Lions’ left side, so was AQM on the right side? Now Bowles will move him to the left side? I don’t like it.”
Here’s the cool thing, AQM lined up over the RT, LT, & both OGs throughout the year last season. So, there’s some flexibility there.
March 17th, 2026 at 8:44 am
Nicholas Carlson Says:
March 17th, 2026 at 8:33 am
Isn’t he in a contract year again?
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Solid point. Can’t be worse than what we had.
Let’s face it, our Bucs didn’t do much at all in FA to improve the team – maybe regressed. Kind of shocking with jobs on the line. Glazers are either playing it cheap or planning for a high ‘27 draft pick and full rebuild. Or both.
March 17th, 2026 at 8:44 am
The Buc over the hill gang.
March 17th, 2026 at 8:46 am
hope he can run and cover. Can’t wait to see him in a Bowles special of running 30 yards downfield with a running back lol
March 17th, 2026 at 8:51 am
Let’s Go Bucs!!!
March 17th, 2026 at 9:15 am
Lions couldn’t afford to give starter money to a backup, simple as that
March 17th, 2026 at 9:57 am
The Lions are one of the top five cap strapped teams in the league. Even that contract would be huge to him. What I like is he actually played well last season unlike Riddick did the season before he came to the Bucs. The whole Jets not starting him and the contract excuse kind of hid the fact that he was washed. AQM is going to cost us half as much.
March 17th, 2026 at 10:05 am
Just maybe Mohammed wanted out of there for a chance to start? why does it always have to be the coach couldn’t find a place on the roster for him?