YaYa Diaby: Sometimes “It Looks Like Guys Don’t Have No Love For The Game”
June 16th, 2026
It seems YaYa Diaby watches the same film of the 2025 Buccaneers defense that Joe does.
Did defensive players quit at times last season? Maybe some. Maybe subconsciously, for some. Heck, even Lavonte David loafted here and there and teammates called him out.
Regardless, what’s fact is that fans and opponents didn’t walk away from Bucs games late last season and say, “Damn, that defense is an angry mob that fight for every blade of grass every time.”
That’s a reason the Bucs sought tough-guy players on defense this offseason, new blood to become a more aggressive unit. One was backup defensive tackle Rakeem “Nacho” Nuñez-Roches. The 33-year-old was signed in free agency from the Giants after three seasons there.
Nacho left the Bucs after the 2022 season and the front office didn’t want him to go.
His return has made an impact on edge rusher YaYa Diaby, a third-round pick of the Bucs a month after Nacho left One Buc Palace.
During his Friday visit to The Drive on 95.7 FM WDAE, Diaby talked about how Nacho and Baker Mayfield chirped at each other “back and forth the whole practice” earlier this month.
Diaby also painted a very scary picture for Bucs fans who endured the 2025 collapse.
“You know, sometimes when you’re watching our games, like sometimes it looks like we don’t have juice out there and sometimes it looks like guys don’t have no love for the game” Diaby said. “But, you know, Nacho brings that to the team and brings an excitement that, you know, that we need to go out there and just do what we do. … Great personality, a great leader, man. He brings a lot of juice that we need.”
Ouch!
Joe wonders when Diaby realized the Bucs defense too often looked flat and disinterested. October? November? December? January?
Joe loves hearing about Nacho’s fire. But if he’s running with backups in practice and rarely playing in games, how much impact will the guy have?
June 16th, 2026 at 10:57 am
I love Yaya. And I’ll reiterate, for all the talk about “sacks”, what he does from a TFL (tackle for loss) aspect is severely underrated. TFLs are exactly the same as sacks. A negative yardage play and a loss of down. He is one of the best TFL defensive ends in the league
June 16th, 2026 at 10:59 am
I agree with Diaby. It’s become increasingly and collectively more obvious too. I’d go as far as to call it a trend.
Love of the game guy is always greater than love of the money guy. One is genuine, organic and authentic love for something and the game & the other is greed masquerading around masked as love.
No wonder YaYa felt as if he was alone out there for much of last season.
This dude is a keeper for a team & culture. And would love to see double digit sacks out of the guy this season!
June 16th, 2026 at 11:10 am
Kit Kat and Bud Licht are ultimately responsible for this team full of quitters. Bud Licht for acquiring them, Kit Kat for accountability.
Time for a change.
June 16th, 2026 at 11:25 am
The HC has no juice or excitement so its not surprising the team is stale too. Sorry YaYa but its boring watching yall play especially when you rarely see sacks, turnovers or 11 men flying to the ball on defense. The HC has approved and signed every non-juice player on the roster so this is the team the loves.
June 16th, 2026 at 11:25 am
Refreshing to hear some positivity from West Philly, and from Bucs fans. I fully agree, Diaby is excellent!
June 16th, 2026 at 11:30 am
Nachos may not see reps in real games, but his presence at games and practices can infuse that edge for players to play at a higher level instead of loafting like David admitted to.
This change can bring about a winning mentality. The talent is there but the mentality of a Tom Brady brought a championship to the Bucs.
June 16th, 2026 at 11:32 am
To answer your question Joe, more than Braswell.
June 16th, 2026 at 11:41 am
This is a coaches job to detect and solve……pure and simple…..some players naturally have fire & love for the game….others have to be motivated….benched or canned.
It does help to have new blood….Nacho is new to many, so he will be a factor.
June 16th, 2026 at 11:52 am
Mr. Tom Brady never would’ve stood for, or accepted, ANY of this BS. And, the “Defense” wasn’t the only group who was just going through the motions. Cause, so was the OFFENSE. I sat there and watched a distracted, unprepared, unfocused, and seemingly disinterested Quarterback, in Baker Mayfield. And, that’s a FACT. So, don’t think for even a MINUTE, that didn’t have every single bit as much of an affect on Mike Evans’ decision, than JUST the Defense alone.
June 16th, 2026 at 11:59 am
I think Bowles needs to make the whole team watch game film from last year. It will be very clear how much that defense could have cared less about. The second thing Bowles should say is that if he sees anti playing like that they will be immediately benched
It is great about Nacho. However talk only goes so far and yes Nacho is not a starter, big difference. People from Bowles to Baker and LD talked a lot to no avail. If you have passion and care about your craft it shows , when you don’t it shows. The Bucs D last year showed they had little passion and little talent.
3-28. It seems 3-28 only bothered ME and he decided to do something about it.
June 16th, 2026 at 12:12 pm
That’s what everyone was screaming throughout the final 11-GAMES of the season… We. Had. NO. JUICE.
June 16th, 2026 at 12:33 pm
A real coach would never, ever, tolerate or stand for that. Yet, here he is.
June 16th, 2026 at 12:50 pm
Its on Bowles and his big, lazy rear end for failing to recognize it and do something about it. Same with how he seemingly has chosen to look the other way while his special teams (with the exception of the place kicker), have been horrid for pretty much the duration of time he has been a head coach. I want to believe things will be better this year, but with his lifeless personality leading this team, my guess is it will be a short lived energy infusion, and then they will get lazy again similar to last year. Prove me wrong Todd…..I want you to!
June 16th, 2026 at 1:18 pm
I think him just being on the team as a leader weather he plays Alot or not he will add Alot of fire to this defense an I’m sure he will play plenty he can Back up Vita I mean this whole defense looks Alot better only place I wanna see a Vet added is CB I like BMo , Parrish an Zyon but they need a Vet guy like Vildor last year
June 16th, 2026 at 1:49 pm
You have to be ready and I welcome you back, he just has a lot fun on the field and the energy.
June 16th, 2026 at 1:53 pm
WestPhillyBucsFan. Good post. Too bad it couldn’t be more wrong. A tackle for loss doesn’t even qualify as a sack’s little brother. Surprised Joe hasn’t corrected you. “TFL’s are exactly the same as sacks”. Balderdash!
June 16th, 2026 at 1:55 pm
Not saying I don’t like TFL’s WestPhilly.