With the 2026 season almost on the horizon, the Buccaneers have a lot of talent but also some potential question marks with that talent. As always, there are players who can be counted on day in and day out to perform but sometimes some seasons just mean more to certain players. This upcoming season is no different so let’s take a look at some players that have something to prove when the season kicks off.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield
This one is a layup, but it has to be mentioned regardless because of how important Mayfield
is to the team. Simply put, Mayfield was not good enough in the second half of the season. There were many reasons for the Bucs late collapse which resulted in missing the playoffs, but Mayfield was certainly a part of the issues. Accuracy problems, decision making and just the overall play of Tampa Bay’s signal caller really fell off, and he needs to get back on track for the team to make noise in the postseason once again.
All of this is without mentioning the elephant in the room which is that Mayfield may very well be playing for a new contract. He is set to become an unrestricted free agent after the 2026 season and has stated publicly that there has not been much progress made on that front. If Mayfield and the Bucs cannot come to an agreement before the deadline Mayfield has set, which is the start of training camp, then Mayfield needs to prove he’s not only worthy of being the long term guy for the Bucs, but he’s someone who should be earning top of the line quarterback money.
That starts with a strong 2026. Mayfield has a golden opportunity to not only win a lot of football games but also make a lot of money in the meantime.
Wide Receiver Chris Godwin
Godwin has been a terrific Buccaneer for his entire career, and he showed flashes of brilliance in 2025, but it was also a year marred by injuries after he suffered a season ending ankle injury mid-way through the 2024 season. Godwin returned to Tampa in 2025 with a brand-new deal but coming off of that major injury was no easy task and then he ended up getting banged up a few separate times during the season.
Can Godwin still be a top-of-the-line receiver? Well, he’s certainly going to get the chance to prove it. With Mike Evans departing this offseason in free agency, Godwin becomes the veteran of that receiver room and will have a much bigger role in 2026. For Godwin, 2026 is a chance to show that he still has it and that it just took him a year to get back to form following the 2024 injury. With Evans no longer there, the entire receiver room will need to step up but a lot of eyes will be on Godwin, who has become a big piece in Zac Robinson’s offense.
Cornerback Zyon McCollum
Bucs corner Zyon McCollum is someone in need of a recharge from the 2025 season. After having a really solid 2024 campaign, Tampa Bay rewarded McCollum with a three year, 48-million-dollar contract just days before the 2025 season started. McCollum had a pretty inconsistent season and was not the 48 million dollars corner the Bucs were hoping he’d be. There were actually times this past season where it seemed like opposing offenses were even targeting McCollum, the Rams game coming to mind.
This Bucs defense has undergone a lot of changes this offseason and one of them is Jamel Dean leaving in free agency. Tampa Bay has put some faith in their cornerback room and right now, McCollum is the top guy. He doesn’t have to be a true number one corner, but he has to be a lot better in 2026 or else that contract is going to continue to look worse and worse. McCollum has a ton of potential and physical tools, and he has shown both of those in his time as a starter, but he’ll need a bounce back year this season.
Head Coach Todd Bowles
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles survived last season’s collapse and was retained by Tampa Bay to enter a fifth season. Despite that, it is safe to say that Bowles enters 2026 on the hot seat. Will the Bucs fire Bowles mid-season if things don’t start well? I wouldn’t count on it. The Glazers have never fired a head coach mid-season, and I don’t believe Bowles would be the first. However, if the results aren’t there, it is pretty easy to envision the Bucs making a change after the season.
The Bucs have a brand-new offensive coordinator in Zac Robinson that they are hoping will be an upgrade over Josh Grizzard and a defense that has seen a lot of changes. Lavonte David retired, Jamel Dean left in free agency. Both of those guys have been staples of Bowles’ defense for as long as he’s been in Tampa. With the additions on defense of A’shawn Robinson, Al Quadin-Muhammad, Alex Anzalone and Reuben Bain Jr among others, it will be on Bowles to make it work and improve his defensive unit because it simply wasn’t good enough in 2025.
Bowles has a lot to prove in 2026. There needs to be progress and a return to the playoffs, possibly even a playoff win. If not, I don’t know if Bowles survives another season.
