Bucs “Awarded” Head-Butting Linebacker Who May Have Cost Bucs An NFC South Crown
May 12th, 2026
Poor message sent to the team.
The old cliché, Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it is ringing through Joe’s head right now.
Joe is not trying to crucify this player, but good grief, you’d think the Bucs would have learned and turned the page. The Bucs on Monday were “awarded” — not the verb Joe would have chosen — linebacker John Bullock on waivers from the Colts.
Normally, Joe would have just shrugged and continued to surf Twitter for research and news. Not this time.
Usually, Joe spends little time on guys who won’t get on the field for the Bucs offense or defense unless there is a disaster. Bullock, a fringe NFL player, is an example.
Bullock, a linebacker from Nebraska, last year logged a grand total of five snaps on defense. Given how turrible the Bucs’ linebacker play was last year, that’s all you need to know about Bullock.
Joe has absolutely nothing personal against Bullock. Joe doesn’t even recall talking to him.
Anyway, Joe thinks bringing back Bullock is probably sending a bad signal to the rest of the roster.
Let Joe take you back to the Carolina road game last year. The Bucs were in a dogfight for the division crown in December, thanks mostly to the team’s collapse after the bye. Bullock sure as hell didn’t help. Down three with 2:20 left in the game, the Bucs received the kickoff from Carolina following the Stinking Panthers taking the lead on a field goal.
The kickoff bounced in the end zone and the Bucs elected not to return the kick. So the Bucs had the ball on their own-35 following the touchback.
But no! There was a flag before that. A personal foul!
Bullock got flagged for head-butting a Carolina player. Yes, head-butting an opponent. Head-butting. REALLY? Your team is fighting for its playoff life and you lose your head like that and blast an opponent in the helmet? What. Are. You. Doing?
That was one of the most knucklehead, idiotic stunts Joe has seen in a while.
The Bucs were forced to open the drive at the 10 yard line. The Bucs drive ended when Baker Mayfield was picked off as the Bucs had the ball on the Carolina-42 with 49 seconds left.
If not for Bullock’s stunt, the Bucs would have been easily within Bucs star kicker Chase McLaughlin’s range. Mayfield wouldn’t have needed to force a pass.
So you can easily connect the very few dots that Bullock cost the Bucs a playoff berth.
Joe would have cut the guy on the spot, handed him $500 and told him to find his own way home after he showered. Instead, the Bucs kept him!
Not until the day before the Bucs were to play the Stinking Panthers in The Licht House to end the regular season did the Bucs decide to teach Bullock a lesson and send a message to the team that head-up-your-ass stunts won’t be tolerated.
But alas, they will be tolerated! The Bucs brourght this Bullock back!
So the message to players is loud and clear: It’s OK if you cost the team a critical win, even costing the team a playoff berth and maybe costing people their jobs. Hey, we all make mistakes. You’re still loved here. :::huge hugs::: XOXO Now let’s go to Dairy Queen!
Bucco Bruce Arians likely shot Crown Royal through his nose learning about this.
Accountability!
May 12th, 2026 at 9:21 am
Well, Joe. That’s funny. But you do remember, after the goofball penalty, what our head coach said? He said we had them right where we wanted them. Man alive, that’s the maddest I ever got at Coach. Man this team went into a free fall last year. I’m sure glad that one’s behind us.
May 12th, 2026 at 9:22 am
Not much different than hiring a guy to be your head coach after his defensive scheme blunder likely cost your team, including Tom Brady, back-to-back Super Bowls. I sense a pattern of indifference and willingness to forget.
May 12th, 2026 at 9:22 am
Bullock cost the Bucs the playoffs. Wow Joe, that 1 bone headed play was the reason for the post- bye week meltdown.not the desperation off target pass by a beatup Qb. Not the Defense quitting on their HC, not the pathetic ST play across the board. Thanks for breaking it down .
May 12th, 2026 at 9:23 am
Reason # 802,475,026 why Todd Bowles sucks out loud as an NFL head coach and sucks as a defensive coordinator. Any wonder why this entire team quit on his a$$ last year?
May 12th, 2026 at 9:24 am
These comments Didn’t let me down 😆
May 12th, 2026 at 9:34 am
Bowles couldn’t figure out this life equation if given the rest of his life !!
And this Todd guy is a Head Coach in the NFL .
How and Why ?
May 12th, 2026 at 9:34 am
“It’s OK if you cost the team a critical win, even costing the team a playoff berth and maybe costing people their jobs. Hey, we all make mistakes. You’re still loved here. :::huge hugs::: XOXO Now let’s go to Dairy Queen!”
Even in spite of that knuckleheaded play/terrible call.
Lathan Ransom caught the last Baker Mayfield pass of that game in what would’ve been FG position for us at the Panther 30 as we were on the CAR 42 with about 49 seconds left in a 3-point game. The problem with this, is Lathan Ransom played defensive back for the Panthers, and was not an eligible WR to advance us into scoring position.
We possessed the ball 9 times in this game. Our 3rd, 4th & 5th drives starting at the half way point of the 2nd qtr. We ran 7 plays for a net -14 yards…..THAT had more of an effect on the outcome of that game more than that one play.
Depending on how many ILBs we end up keeping, Bullock will probably competing for a roster spot with Nick Jackson, Javin Wright, Fordham, & I think we’ll have Mac Harris from USF in camp.
If we’re going to beat the accountability drum. . .
May 12th, 2026 at 9:35 am
It shouldn’t have been that close in the first place.
May 12th, 2026 at 9:36 am
Joe … ‘Anyway, the reason why Joe typed up this here article on Bullock returning is that it seems to Joe this is probably sending a bad signal to the rest of the roster.’
Bad signal? Is there anyone in Bucsville who truly believes that Bullock with make the 53-man roster? Anyone? He’s camp meat, but at least he probably knows a little about Todd Bowles system.
May 12th, 2026 at 9:36 am
Yes, if not for a third string at best LB, Todd Bowles would have hoisted the Lombardi trophy in 2025.
It wasn’t Baker throwing Int’s, wasn’t a non existent ST coach that was never fired until too late, definitely not the wide open Swiss cheese soft as butter pee wee league caliber pass defense of Bowels.
Balderdash. We have our scapegoat for the 2025 dumpster fires.
And now we finally know who’s also responsible for Evans departure.
May 12th, 2026 at 9:55 am
Quite the reach here Joe that Bullock cost us the playoffs. Must have been a slow day at the writers desk. What’s 1000 times more bonehead is playing a soft zone on 3rd and 28, then 4th and 14. Or our QB tossing INT’s around like the toss the ring game at the County Fair. And in the Carolina game you mentioned we didn’t need another yard from the Carolina 42 and we would have been in McLaughlin’s range.
May 12th, 2026 at 10:06 am
Wouldn’t the new Bucs special teams coach have had a say in the selection of a special teams player?
What harm is there in letting the new coach kick the tires and see what he thinks?
If Bullock makes the 53 man roster or the practice squad, it presumably because a well respected special teams coach wants him on the squad. And, from what has been said about this new/old coach, he will not tolerate fools – gladly or otherwise.
May 12th, 2026 at 10:12 am
WBL and Boi are right there defending why they believe Baker is a POS. It can be right in their faces that Baker didn’t need to make a bad pass if he didn’t start 15 yards further down field. No! They see it differently.
You would need the fingers and toes of half your neighborhood to count the number of INTs made when QBs are forced to throw passes when behind late in games. No, these self appointed GURUs of JBF blog will lead to the Truth!
May 12th, 2026 at 10:16 am
What I remember about that game was everytime I turned around Luke Goedeke was getting a flag on offense. Sorry if I spelled his name wrong.
May 12th, 2026 at 10:18 am
Sounds like he plays with violence! Lol
May 12th, 2026 at 10:18 am
Why would this surprise anyone? The circus is getting ready for a new clown show, led by the king of the clowns himself.
May 12th, 2026 at 10:23 am
Stupid yes but I think the refs were all over many of our loses including that one Joe. Roger needs desparately to rein the zebras in with some major Accountability!
Go Bucs!
May 12th, 2026 at 10:24 am
@Oregon⬆️right on cue. You’re consistent. Never said Baker is a POS. Actually big fan. Just threw a bad ball at that time. And I guess you defend his other INts ( Atl game at home) where he had time, not behind the sticks, and just made a bad throw. You are too blinded sometimes by your man crush. But I’m guessing you believe Bullock, of all the other players on the team, was most responsible for our not making the playoffs. Got it.
May 12th, 2026 at 10:27 am
That was a great headbutt
We need more violent players like that
He can bring that physicality to training camp
That’s exactly what we need, a physical training camp
Instead of loud music, dancing and ice cream
That was a great pickup by Licht
May 12th, 2026 at 10:28 am
@Oregon⬆️ and also… Baker and team had already overcome Bullocks mistake. They had driven 50 more yards downfield. His bad INT at that was totally independent of the mistake Bullock had made. Guess you and Joe didn’t discuss that at your spend the night party.
May 12th, 2026 at 10:29 am
I believe that when the ball bounced into the end zone and was not returned, it was a touchback and was to be placed at the 20. That’s why it ended up at the 10 after the penalty. Just a footnote.
May 12th, 2026 at 10:40 am
Gee Wiz, Joe….everyone deserves a second chance….give the kid a shot at making the bottom of the roster….
And….I think 3 & 28 is what cost us the playoffs…..
May 12th, 2026 at 10:43 am
There is Reaching and then there is I need a 12 foot ladder to make a story.
May 12th, 2026 at 10:48 am
lol!!!!!…the lack of accountability is embarrassing lol
blaming Bullock instead of Baker who throw another 4th quarter INT!!!!
its getting quite comical now lol…
even without the penalty, Baker wouldve choked in the 4th quarter lol…just like he did in every game in the month of DEC while team was fighting for its playoff life!!!
5 4th quarter turnovers joe!!!….you blaming bullock for those too lol
GO BUCS!!!!
May 12th, 2026 at 10:49 am
johnnythemoon Says:
May 12th, 2026 at 10:43 am
There is Reaching and then there is I need a 12 foot ladder to make a story.
BINGO!!!!
12 FOOT LADDER AND A 10 FOOT POLE LOL…and joe still comes up short lol
GO BUCS!!!!
May 12th, 2026 at 10:53 am
hahahaha!! Forget Arians and his Crown Royal! I just choked on my brisket sandwich after watching that Bobby Knight clip!!
May 12th, 2026 at 10:54 am
bullock was supposed to be a good find a good linebacker like landman in LA
May 12th, 2026 at 11:04 am
I remember a linebacker make a stupid personal foul against the jets a long time ago that cost us the game…. he turned out Okay, lets hope for the best
May 12th, 2026 at 11:05 am
I remember that play.
I would have cut him from the team in the locker in front of everyone at halftime.
May 12th, 2026 at 11:10 am
We have to remember, physical players get caught up in the moment
But, they learn to control their emotions as they mature as professionals
John Bullock learned from that costly penalty
He deserves another opportunity with this team
May 12th, 2026 at 11:10 am
“WBL and Boi are right there defending why they believe Baker is a POS. It can be right in their faces that Baker didn’t need to make a bad pass if he didn’t start 15 yards further down field”
It all happened on the same possession.
Offense over came bad field position and found themselves in better field position. Just to give the ball away right outside of comfortable FG range on their last offensive possession in a 3 score game.
It’s less about Baker, and more about debunking the claim of this article saying Bullock cost us a playoff spot. When in reality, a comparable play made in about the same position on the field in the game previous to the first Panthers game also played a part in us missing the postseason.
You just want something to defend, like Lathan Ransom.
May 12th, 2026 at 11:11 am
We are digging deep into the bag of excuses today. Finding quality content is difficult this time of year, but blaming the headbutt? Really? All of the second half of last season this team constantly made untimely penalties. What did we do about it? Gave the HC a pat on the back. Maybe we could have put him on waivers.
May 12th, 2026 at 11:12 am
I’m always gonna remember Bullock or John Bully as Lavonte David called him for one main Lavonte reason. It was the double take moment that I knew time was coming to an end fast for LVD.
Last offseason after the 53 man roster was announced and a week out from the opening weekend division rival game against the Dirty Birds and David was doing a locker room interview. He had just been asked about Bullock/John Bully making the roster and was then asked if he was physically & mentally ready for the season to begin and for the big division rival week 1 matchup. He replied physically he was there, but “mentally, honestly, not there yet”. Less than a week out from opening day and a huge rivalry game and you haven’t licked in mentally yet. It was the writing on the wall for someone who truly loves the game of football.
May 12th, 2026 at 11:15 am
“Maybe we could have put him on waivers.”
That’s exactly what the team did, Bullock was waived Jan 2nd.
May 12th, 2026 at 11:19 am
Wait- you expected accountability from Bowles and Licht?
Ha!