The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are heading into Week 3 with a home date against the Minnesota Vikings waiting at Raymond James Stadium, and the matchup arrives with both teams carrying very different early-season baggage.
Tampa Bay is one of eight winless teams in the league right now, while Minnesota comes into town at 2-0 after winning both of its first two games against divisional opponents. That sets up a test the Bucs badly need as they try to stop the skid.
One bright spot through the first two games has been Bucky Irving. The Buccaneers running back has looked like one of the better players at his position in the league so far this season, giving Tampa Bay something to hang onto as the rest of the roster searches for answers.
The quarterback conversation is already part of the picture, too. The Bucs signed Baker Mayfield to a long-term extension before the season began, and the team’s 0-2 start has raised the obvious question of whether that move is already looking shaky.
Minnesota, meanwhile, will have Kyler Murray back under center. Murray cleared concussion protocol and will start against Tampa Bay after missing the Vikings’ Week 2 game against the Chicago Bears while in concussion protocol.
There’s also another quarterback note elsewhere around the league: Jaxson Dart’s injury could sideline him for the remainder of the 2026 season, a brutal development for the New York Giants, who are expected to turn to former Bucs quarterback Jameis Winston to start.
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 Have Two Bright Spots Fans Cant Ignore Right Now
The first two weeks of the 2026 season have been rough enough in Tampa Bay that the usual discussion points have tilted toward what has gone wrong, with Baker Mayfield and Vita Vea not quite matching the standard the Buccaneers expected from them. In that kind of early-season fog, it is easy for the noise to drown out the smaller signs of progress, but there have been a couple of encouraging developments that stand out for a team trying to steady itself quickly.
Rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter has been one of those bright spots, and running back Bucky Irving has given the offense another reason to feel better about its depth and balance. Even with Alex Anzalone still not living up to expectations, the Buccaneers at least have a pair of young pieces worth building around as they try to keep the early disappointment from becoming a longer problem. [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 🡒]