Mike Tanier Suggests Bucs Fans Need To Turn The Page
June 13th, 2026
“… [E]nd of the empire.”
Joe believes there is a kernel of truth buried in the sarcasm here.
Joe’s good friend, NFL columnist/humorist Mike Tanier, tried to pinpoint the mental frame of mind of each team’s fans.
Before you know it, the stench of spent Fourth of July fireworks will be in your nostrils and training camp will kick off.
Tanier thinks Bucs fans of all shapes and sizes should realize the Super Bowl Bucs era is over. Time for a rebuild, Tanier said. And that requires a change of thought for Bucs fans to embrace depressing reality: the Bucs are no longer Super Bowl contenders.
In addition to [Mike] Evans’ departure, Lavonte David retired, leaving Bucs fans with few tethers to Super Bowl LV. It’s now the Post-Post Brady Era, a.k.a. the denouement, a.k.a. the time to start thinking about firing coaches and GMs and accepting the reality that Baker Mayfield peaked when he was an MVP candidate for about 20 minutes last October.
Last year’s 2-7 finish was the end of the empire. Many Bucs fans surely accept that. But accepting that the Bucs are no longer even the best team in the NFC South is gonna cause some severe cognitive dissonance.
Tanier has a point. If the influence of the Super Bowl-Bucs was still dominant, no way the Bucs close the season out 2-7 last year. Contenders don’t do that.
And yeah, only four starters remain from the 2020 Super Bowl champs: Chris Godwin, Vita Vea, Antoine Winfield and Tristan Wirfs. Two players on each side of the line do not make a Super Bowl contender.
(Yes, Joe knows “Nacho” was on the Super Bowl team, too. He played a key role playing for the injured Vea. But Nacho wasn’t and isn’t a starter.)
Now, it’s baby steps in Joe’s eyes. First, get back to a winning record, then win the NFC South landfill. The division is so rotten, a winning season should get you the division crown by default.
Super Bowl? Well, if New England and Seattle (who the Bucs stomped on the road last year) can make it to the Super Bowl, you cannot rule out the Bucs.
June 13th, 2026 at 1:08 pm
Seattle came out of nowhere so anything is possible but have a really good defensive coach, NE had a 2nd year stud QB and a really good coach, we have a retread HC n QB, a terrible defensive coach and a average QB, we aren’t going anywhere anytime soon
June 13th, 2026 at 1:31 pm
Seattle and NE have elite defensive coaches, which the Bucs don’t have. Bowles have shown time and time again that his defense is archaic and doesn’t defend the modern NFL offense very well.
June 13th, 2026 at 1:33 pm
Baker played like trash from week 7 on. If he was in fact injured, and that was the cause of his awful play – and he’s healthy again, then the Bucs will bounce right back. They got plenty of talent on offense, and the defense is middling, which is OK for a team built to win on offense.
Of course if Baker is simply a very inconsistent QB who chokes in the biggest situations (has a 2-9 primetime and playoff record in Tampa), and his struggles weren’t related to injury and instead or just who he is, then the Bucs aren’t winning much.
I’m not Baker Boi, and I don’t want the Bucs signing him to an extension this offseason, but I still hope all the jackballs yelling he’s hurt after every bad throw are correct and last years dramatic collapse was all about being injured.
June 13th, 2026 at 1:44 pm
I don’t need to comment. Everybody KNOWS I KNOW IT….
June 13th, 2026 at 1:51 pm
Last year’s collapse was all about injuries to critical high salary and draft pick players. Our offensive line which with the receivers are the two strongest aspects of our team- both groups were in tatters. Our QB was nicked up several different ways. We were missing our best pass rushing defensive lineman for almost the whole season. The lack of guard talent was the final straw. We couldn’t run and we couldn’t pass.
This year should be night and day different if the team stays healthy! We are not in a reconstruction and don’t need to be. We need our starters to stay healthy and play…
June 13th, 2026 at 1:55 pm
The head coach has shown year in and you’re out that you cannot keep the team focused for an entire season. Every year we have these head scratching losses that seem to come in the snap of the fingers. The buccaneers will be playing Great football and look as though there’s not a team in the NFL that can hang with them, then wham!!! Stupid loss after stupid loss after stupid loss and as a fan watching you can see these huge holes in the defense and for myself I’m scratching my head wondering how in the hell the head coach can’t see these big gaping holes that I’m staring at on TV and I’ve never coached anything! My hope is if we start on this mid-season slump again that Jason light has the balls to go ahead and let Bowels go and try like hell to get Mike t in here….
June 13th, 2026 at 2:26 pm
Instill wish the Bucs would have hired a Defensive Cordinator last off season to help modernize our Defense. I think
that if we say healthy the offense will be fine even better next season. Our STs can’t go anywhere other than up from last season & I do believe C. SMITH & the additions he brought will improve our ST. The Defense should be better & more aggressive, hopefully play with a urgency & savage attitude it has lacked sinse the 20 season. The only thing that worries me is our HC & DC combo is really over the hill & still plays our DBs at such big cushions . I know there are certain Defensive sets that call for dropping the pass rushers into coverage, I hope we have the players to do this now. We will see i guess. If Bowles is a out of date out of touch Coach.& he loses his TEAM again the BUCCANEERS will make a change i would hope (but with them who knows) Go BUCCANEERS!!!!!
June 13th, 2026 at 2:32 pm
Mike Tanier is correct. Last year the Bucs ended the season sub .500, they will again this year. Hardly the signs of a serious run at another ring.
June 13th, 2026 at 2:40 pm
I will not accept that the Bucs are in rebuild mode. All this team needs is a middle of the pack defense, an O line that is healthy, a real OC and decent coaching, and ok special teams.
I a pretty sure the Bucs have 3 of the 4 areas covered. lol.
June 13th, 2026 at 2:53 pm
A total ‘rebuild’ complete with a brand new HC and GM is SO much more EXCITING than what we have right now!!!! Which, is a ‘BOTTOM-5’ Team in The NFC. And, NO. This team is NOT “Seattle” – who “I” picked to WIN the WEST and was my 2nd Super Bowl choice, before the season had even started… Nor is it “New England” – my ‘sleeper’ team before the season, who just got lucky through an ‘all-time’ WEAK schedule, and playing Denver without a competent Quarterback. There is NO “Super Bowl.” Now, that is just straight up NONSENSICAL, ‘DELUSIONAL’ talk. Absolutely, ABSURD. This current Bucs Team is going NOWHERE. I’m just waiting for the ‘trade deadline’ to see how ‘aggressively’ we are going to set ourselves up for THIS upcoming 2027-DRAFT. And, also NO. I do NOT want to “reach” or take a “flyer” on just ANY QB. This Draft is LOADED all around, to be “REACHING” an ANYONE.
June 13th, 2026 at 2:56 pm
Rainer is correct. This is not a Super Bowl contender. We all know what has to change th are this team competitive again.
June 13th, 2026 at 2:57 pm
Could have told you they were no longer contenders three years ago.
Maybe I should become a sports writer.
June 13th, 2026 at 3:04 pm
Seattle actually was ‘my pick’ to go to the Super Bowl last season, UNTIL Green Bay made the Micah Parsons move and I friggin’ switched-it! So, I had Green Bay and Buffalo. I thought THAT would be ‘classic’ one there, with Josh Allen finally getting HIS. New England was THE ‘luckiest’ team EVER. That schedule, and NO Nix, Burrow, Lamar, OR Mahomes. I’m currently seeing THEM as ‘missing-out’ on “The Playoffs” ENTIRELY, this upcoming season.
June 13th, 2026 at 3:06 pm
We are now….no risk it- stale biscuit (Bowles)
He started losing the team with that Rams debacle when we had TB12 doing a classic and legendary magic comeback which he utterly destroyed.
That’s when he lost me anyway…
Death by 1,000 cuts since.
June 13th, 2026 at 3:24 pm
Let’s play the games and see what happens.
June 13th, 2026 at 3:31 pm
start with a new coach and do not resign Mayfield (use the tag if necessary)
June 13th, 2026 at 3:32 pm
6-11 season coming, I hate to say that but Bowles isn’t changing his coach ways. And these players that Licht put together need discipline and accountability that’s why Arians was so successful with licht’s type of players. Bowles is a player’s coach, to lenient.
June 13th, 2026 at 3:33 pm
CleanHouse. We were contenders each of the last 3 years. Needed to win week 17 to remain in contention each of those 3 years. Won all three. We’re contenders all right.
June 13th, 2026 at 3:34 pm
I should have said “week 18”.
June 13th, 2026 at 3:37 pm
So basically what I’ve been saying for months. A new day is coming and we just have to get thru these next 17 games. The Bucs are overdue for a fresh start with young players, a young dynamic QB and a young offensive HC. No more mediocrity.
June 13th, 2026 at 3:42 pm
Nobody thought new england vs Seattle for the SB last year.
We have the talent to compete (win against) anybody…. It will take some time for the offense and defense to “gel” but player talent wise we’re in a better place than we’ve been since Brady left.
+ New OC – New position coaches.
It may be time to “turn the page” on the Brady years but I sure as hell ain’t giving up on our current Krewe.
Expect to see the best Bucs team in years in 2026
June 13th, 2026 at 3:44 pm
Having been a local since the team started, Bowles’ 50-50 seasons have been a lot better than the teams overall winning percentage of about 42% which has actually been increased a bit by the 50-50 Bowles’ years.
And, except for injuries that have seemed to be extraordinary the past two years, I believe that Bowles would have a better record. Last year’s Grizzard misadventure goes back to Licht and Bowles, but two out of three of their OC choices were good, and hopefully it will prove to be three out of four.
With good health, if the OC is solid, this could and should be a breakout year for the Bucs.
June 13th, 2026 at 3:55 pm
And Joe, “If the influence of the Super Bowl-Bucs was still dominant”. I’d say if Wirfs and Godwin, and Vea and Winfield can stay healthy and play like they’re capable of, we’ll say that the influence of those Super Bowl-Bucs was key. I’d say you could do alot worse than starting a team with those 4 players.
June 13th, 2026 at 4:43 pm
With all 5 starters in, our offensive line is extremely powerful. We are going to run the football- and very well. That will make everything else easier. Cody Mauch is key. We averaged over 5.5 yards per carry behind him in 2024. I expect more of the same in 2026 now that he’s back and 100% healthy!
I also expect our defense to be better with a significantly upgraded pass rushing defensive lineman. Bain+Kancey+Diaby+Muhammed/Walker= a LOT more pressure! Pressure causes opposing offenses to make mistakes.
We are going to be a far better football team than people think when you combine all the great players coming back from injury and the great pickups in free agency and the excellent draft.
June 13th, 2026 at 4:45 pm
*upgraded pass rush. I don’t know where the rest of that sentence even came from, lol.
June 13th, 2026 at 4:52 pm
Been a smoldering dumpster fire since Bruce retired and gave his buddy the job. Hopefully this is the last off season we have to read about AC/DC and Kit Kats.
June 13th, 2026 at 5:20 pm
This is bull.
The Bucs have a coaching problem. The roster is fine and with good health and proper schemes they can win a lot of games.
Bowles is not the guy to be wearing 2 hats, Coen would have won 11 games last year and he would have won 11-12 this year.
High end coordinators make teams go!
Watch the Chargers this year with McDaniels, watch Tennessee with Saleh and Daboll, the Raiders with Kubiak. All these teams are gonna leap forward and sure they made roster improvements but the biggest improvements are on the sidelines. Not rocket science.