The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have a new-look leadership group in 2026, with players voting for six team captains ahead of Sunday's season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. Quarterback Baker Mayfield, tackle Tristan Wirfs, wide receiver Chris Godwin Jr., nose tackle Vita Vea, linebacker Alex Anzalone and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. were selected by their teammates. Mayfield, Wirfs, Vea and Winfield return after serving as captains last season, while Godwin Jr and Anzalone join the group.
The changes come during an offseason in which Tampa Bay lost two players who had been fixtures among the team's captains. Lavonte David retired after spending 12 of his 14 seasons with the Buccaneers as a captain. Mike Evans, who left Tampa Bay for the San
Francisco 49ers in free agency, had been selected as a captain in each of the previous nine seasons, but was not selected as a captain on his new team. Godwin Jr now steps into an even larger leadership role as one of the longest-tenured players remaining on the roster, and the veteran receiver previously served as a Buccaneers captain in 2023 and has spent his entire NFL career in Tampa Bay since being drafted in 2017. Anzalone's selection may be the most notable of the six, considering he only joined the Buccaneers in March. His teammates have already seen enough to give him the captain's patch. Anzalone isn't unfamiliar with the responsibility, either, serving as a captain in all five of his seasons with the Detroit Lions from 2021-25.
The other four selections provide some continuity. Vea will serve as a captain for the fifth consecutive season, the longest active streak on the team. Mayfield, Wirfs and Winfield will each enter their fourth straight season with the honor. Mayfield also previously served as a captain during stops with Cleveland and Carolina. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from the selections is how Tampa Bay's leadership core continues to evolve. David and Evans were two of the most recognizable voices in the locker room for more than a decade, leaving significant shoes to fill. With Tampa Bay preparing to begin another season with postseason expectations, those six will be the players their teammates look toward to help set the tone.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Buccaneers name six captains for 2026 season
