The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are off to a rough start through two weeks of the 2026 NFL regular season, and after the ugly loss to Deshaun Watson and the Cleveland Browns, the picture around the roster looks pretty clear. A couple of players are trending up. A few others are sinking fast.
At the top of the trouble list is Baker Mayfield. He has been the team’s biggest letdown so far, and the issue isn’t just the price tag - it’s the way he’s played with it.
Mayfield already hurt the Bucs by failing to protect the football against the Cincinnati Bengals, and he was even worse against Cleveland because he couldn’t move the ball at all against a weak defense that Trevor Lawrence had no trouble shredding. Right now, Mayfield does not look like a franchise quarterback.
On the other side, rookie inside linebacker Josiah Trotter has been one of the few encouraging stories. For the second week in a row, he led Tampa Bay in tackles, and he’s quickly become the clearest bright spot on the defense. Trotter already looks like the heir to Lavonte David, which matters even more with offseason signing Alex Anzalone struggling badly.
Vita Vea is also headed in the wrong direction. Like Mayfield, he’s not living up to his new contract, and the lack of impact is hard to miss. Vea hasn’t generated any pressure on the quarterback, and that’s left the pass rushers around him with even more work to do.
Bucky Irving is one of the few players giving the offense a lift. He’s averaging more than five yards per carry this season, and Tampa Bay needs to feed him more often.
Until Mayfield shows he can get back on track, Zac Robinson should be building the offense around Irving. At the moment, Irving is the Buccaneers’ best offensive player.
The final name on the down side is Alex Anzalone, who has been a problem from the start. He does not look like a starting linebacker for this team, and he’s playing more like Devin White 2.0 than the steady defensive presence the Buccaneers are paying for. It’s time to move on from the former Detroit Lion.
In Other News...
Baker Mayfield Adds To Growing Bucs Concern Before Vikings Game
Baker Mayfields start to the 2026 season has already given the Buccaneers plenty to sort through, with the quarterback off to a rocky two-game stretch that has included limited production and too many turnovers. Tampa Bay has leaned on him to steady the offense, but the early returns have made every practice report and injury update around him carry a little extra weight as the Week 3 matchup with the Vikings approaches.
Mayfield added another layer of uncertainty this week when he missed his scheduled press conference because of an undisclosed illness, even though he was able to take part in practice in full. The participation is obviously a positive sign, but for a team trying to rebound quickly, the illness still leaves a lingering question about how ready he will be when the Buccaneers face Minnesota. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers May Need To Rethink One Troubling Edge Rotation
The Buccaneers 0-2 start has already put a spotlight on a defense that has been out of sorts, with tackling issues and too little pressure on opposing quarterbacks adding up to an early concern. Todd Bowles has acknowledged that rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. is not fully healthy, even as he continues to play, and the results so far have not matched the expectations around a pass rush that was supposed to be a strength.
Meanwhile, David Walker has done more with fewer opportunities, making his snaps count in a way that could force Tampa Bay to reconsider the edge rotation. If the staff decides it needs a spark, Walkers role is the obvious place to look, especially with the pass rush searching for answers and the margin for patience already shrinking after two straight losses. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Bowles Is Taking Heat For A Buccaneers Problem Fans Know Too Well
The Buccaneers slow start has put Todd Bowles back in the crosshairs, and not just because Tampa Bay is already staring at two losses to open the 2026 season. The latest blow came in a 23-19 defeat to the Browns, another tight game that left familiar questions hanging over a defense that has too often struggled to finish the job under Bowles.
What makes the frustration sharper is how much of the criticism circles back to the same old concern for this team: whether the coaching has held the defense back and helped push talent out the door. Meanwhile, a look across the state only adds to the sting, with the Jaguars getting early credit under former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen, a comparison that does Tampa Bay no favors as the heat on Bowles keeps building. [Read more 🡒]