The Buccaneers’ first joint practice with the Jaguars on Tuesday in Jacksonville was the kind of session that leaves a team with a lot to clean up, especially on offense.
Tampa Bay arrived at 1 Performance Place looking to stack a strong day against Jacksonville after its earlier joint work with the Jets, but that never really materialized. The Bucs were outplayed on both sides, and the offense in particular spent most of the day getting swallowed up.
There were a couple of encouraging personnel notes before the real work started. Vita Vea and Tristan Wirfs both took part in team drills, marking the first time all year that both have been in team work. That’s an important step as they ramp up toward Week 1.
A few other names were missing. Christian Rozeboom remained out, as did SirVocea Dennis.
Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan also sat out Tuesday. Justin Skule was not a participant, while Ben Chukwuma returned after missing camp and the preseason game against the Chiefs last Saturday.
Cade Otton was back as well after sitting out multiple days of camp and that same preseason game.
Once the drills got rolling, though, the Jaguars dictated just about everything.
The tone was set early, even in one-on-ones, where Luke Goedeke had a rough time against Josh Hines-Allen. Hines-Allen won most of those matchups and kept bothering the rest of Tampa Bay’s line, too. The backups didn’t find much relief against Jacksonville’s second unit.
It didn’t get better in 11-on-11 work. The Bucs couldn’t generate any real push in the run game, and the passing attack was just as messy.
Jacksonville’s defensive backs knocked the ball free at the catch point five different times, and the few positives Tampa Bay managed were quickly undercut by penalties and drops. Devin Culp had a bad drop on a good throw from Jalon Daniels, and a Sean Tucker rushing touchdown came off the board because of holding.
Baker Mayfield had a rough day as well, throwing two interceptions. One came on a pass that was too high for Chris Godwin and was picked off on a tip.
The other was thrown straight to Antonio Johnson at safety. Mayfield also overthrew the football several times, adding to an offense that never found its footing.
Defensively, Tampa Bay had a better day than the offense, but it still wasn’t clean. Ayden Garnes and Zyon McCollum both broke up passes, and Rakeem Nunez-Roches and Yaya Diaby each got into the backfield for sacks.
Even so, the secondary had a glaring breakdown on the first play of 11-on-11 scrimmage. McCollum was beaten badly on a fly route by Brian Thomas Jr., who turned it into an immediate touchdown.
So while there were a few individual bright spots, the overall picture for the Buccaneers on Tuesday was uneven at best. They’ll need a much sharper showing Wednesday if they want to feel better about the work they put in against Jacksonville.
In Other News...
Jaguars Defense Just Got The Kind Of National Respect Fans Wanted
For a Jaguars defense that has spent plenty of time trying to prove it belongs in the leagues upper tier, ESPNs Mike Clay offering this kind of preseason respect is a notable development. Clay ranked Jacksonvilles edge rushers fifth heading into the 2026 NFL season, putting Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker among the best front-line duos in football and giving the unit a national spotlight that has not always followed the Jaguars around.
The praise did not stop there, either. Clay also placed Jacksonvilles cornerback group inside the top 10, with Travis Hunter, Jourdan Lewis, Montaric Brown and Jarrian Jones all part of the conversation, while the linebacker room landed just outside that range at No. 11. For a team that wants its defense to set the tone, the broader question now is whether this recognition turns into something even more meaningful once the season gets going. [Read more 🡒]
Jaguars Face A Real Debate After ESPN's 2026 Warning
Bill Barnwells warning landed with a familiar sting for Jacksonville: the Jaguars were among the NFL teams he flagged as most likely to take a step back in 2026. The concern is rooted less in any one weakness than in how the 2025 season came together, with a string of close wins, a turnover margin that helped paper over some mistakes and a fumble recovery rate that may be hard to repeat. Even the late-season schedule break looked like part of the formula, which is usually a shaky foundation when a team is trying to prove it belongs in the leagues upper tier.
Still, this is not the profile of a team staring at a complete reset. The coaching setup remains intact, and there were real signs last season that the Jaguars were building better chemistry and getting healthier as the year went on. That is what makes the debate so interesting in Jacksonville right now: the warning signs are obvious enough to take seriously, but so are the reasons to believe the team has enough continuity to avoid a downturn. [Read more 🡒]
Brian Thomas Jr. Injury Concern Just Got Some Relief
Brian Thomas Jr. gave the Jaguars a small but important bit of good news heading into the next game, with head coach Liam Coen saying the young receiver is expected to be ready after dealing with a shoulder injury. For a Jacksonville offense that leans heavily on Thomas as one of its most dynamic playmakers, any concern around his availability tends to change the conversation quickly, especially this time of year when every week can matter for rhythm and playoff positioning.
The update does not erase the reason for the concern in the first place, but it does keep the Jaguars from having to spend the week bracing for a worst-case scenario. Thomas has become central to what Jacksonville wants to do through the air, so getting him back on track would stabilize a passing game that needs its top targets in place and, at minimum, gives Coen one less lineup question to manage before the next kickoff. [Read more 🡒]