The Buccaneers left Week 1 with a 33-27 loss to the Bengals and not a whole lot to feel good about on defense. But Josiah Trotter changed that mood in a hurry.
The rookie linebacker didn’t just survive his NFL debut - he stamped it. Trotter played more than 90 percent of Tampa Bay’s defensive snaps and piled up a team-high 10 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack and a 38-yard pick-six. In the process, he became the first player in NFL history to record both a sack and a pick-six in his debut.
That’s the kind of opener that gets your attention. It also backed up the idea that Trotter may already be pushing toward an every-down role for Todd Bowles’ defense.
PFF’s grades matched the eye test. Trotter earned a 72.8 overall mark, and his 85.6 coverage grade led all rookie linebackers. The numbers fit what showed up on the field: he looked like a linebacker who could hold up downhill and stay on the field in coverage.
That versatility is part of the appeal. It’s the same kind of trait that helped make Trotter’s father a standout NFL linebacker and helped turn Lavonte David into a Buccaneers legend. Tampa Bay can’t replace what David meant to the defense, but it can at least feel encouraged by what it saw from the rookie.
After the game, Trotter was pleased to show the range that made him one of Tampa Bay’s top picks in the 2026 NFL Draft.
"I just thank God for that," said Trotter, via the team's official website. "I knew what I could do coming into the draft, but at the end of the day I knew in the meantime I could show everybody that I can cover people. Now I've got to do it next week, I've got to make more plays, more things I can still clean up in the passing game but just thank God I was able to go out there and play, trust my instincts, and ultimately get a pick and help my team out."
The play that really jumped off the screen came on that 38-yard pick-six against Joe Burrow. The interception wasn’t just a lucky break.
Tampa Bay had worked on that coverage in practice, and Trotter had been coached to widen his drop after staying too far inside. When the moment came in the game, he corrected it.
He trusted his instincts, read Burrow and got into the passing lane for six.
That’s the sort of snap that gives Bowles a reason to lean into the rookie more and more. Trotter has the size and movement skills to matter in a bunch of different ways, and turning coaching points from practice into game-changing plays on Sundays is exactly how a linebacker earns trust.
Bowles called Trotter "a gamer" after the game, while also noting that the Missouri rookie still has plenty to learn. That part matters too. He’s not finished, and he’s going to make mistakes like any rookie.
But the foundation is obvious already. He has the instincts, the confidence, the physical tools and the football bloodline. Put that together, and you’ve got the makings of an every-down defender.
After one game, Josiah Trotter is already making a strong case.
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