The Buccaneers are sitting at 3-6 heading into their Week 10 bye, and while the first nine games have been rough overall, Tampa Bay has still gotten major production from a handful of players. With the season at its halfway mark, it’s a good time to sort out who has carried the load and who has taken the biggest leap.
Start with the guy who has been the most reliable weapon on the roster: Chase McLaughlin. The kicker has been Tampa Bay’s MVP so far, and he’s been perfect on the year, going 22-for-22 on field goals with a long of 59 yards and hitting all 14 of his extra points.
His 84 points lead all kickers in the NFL. In a season where the offense has too often stalled before reaching the end zone, McLaughlin has been the steady hand keeping points on the board.
On offense, the honor belongs to Bucky Irving, who has become the engine of the entire unit. Tampa Bay owns the No. 1 rushing offense in the league, and Irving is the clear bellcow.
He has 825 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on 4.9 yards per carry, with 22 catches for 106 yards and a score added through the air. He’s on pace to top 1,500 rushing yards, which would be a new career high.
With the Buccaneers dead-last in passing offense, Irving has been the player propping everything up.
Defensively, Jacob Parrish gets the nod as the team’s top performer. The second-year corner made the move from nickel to outside corner and handled it without a hitch, quickly establishing himself among the NFL’s best at the position.
He leads the league with 14 passes defensed, has two interceptions, and owns a 65.9 opponent passer rating when targeted, which ranks ninth among cornerbacks. For a defense that has been one of the league’s best, Parrish has still managed to stand out.
The rookie award goes to Josiah Trotter, and it isn’t close. While much of the draft buzz centered on first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr. and third-round pick Ted Hurst, it’s the second-round linebacker who has made the loudest first impression.
Trotter missed one game because of injury, yet he still leads the Buccaneers with 76 total tackles, 26 more than the next-closest player on the roster. He’s also added a sack, a pick-six, and three passes defensed, giving Tampa Bay impact against both the run and the pass.
Then there’s Zyon McCollum, who gets the most improved label after a strong rebound from an uneven 2025 season. McCollum was in the mix for Defensive Player of the Year, but Parrish edged him out.
Even so, McCollum has put together the best season of his career. His 11 passes defensed are tied for second among all NFL cornerbacks, and his 38.1 passer rating allowed when targeted leads the league at the midway point.
He’s gone from inconsistent to a legitimate All-Pro candidate in 2026, and his rise has given the Buccaneers defense another major boost.
In Other News...
Bruce Arians Just Made Buccaneers Fans Revisit One Huge Possibility
Bruce Arians has put a familiar name back into the conversation around Tampa Bays sideline. The former Buccaneers coach, who stepped away after the 2021 season, has been talking more openly about his interest in getting back into NFL coaching after recovering from serious health issues, including open-heart surgery. For a franchise that has already lived through one abrupt transition at the top, any hint of Arians reentering the picture is going to get attention.
The timing only makes the speculation louder, with Todd Bowles facing pressure and a coaching change around the corner looking increasingly possible. Arians history with the organization gives Buccaneers fans an obvious place to go with the idea, even if nothing is settled yet. For now, it is less about a decision than a reminder that one of the most recognizable figures in recent team history may not be done on the sideline after all. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Bye Week Could Decide How Far This Offense Can Go
With a 3-6 record, the Buccaneers are still hanging around in the NFC South race, but the bye week arrives with some real offensive questions attached to it. Todd Bowles has already acknowledged the heavy workload on Rachaad White and said the team needs to ease it, a sign that Tampa Bay is looking beyond just surviving the next game and toward finding a more sustainable formula.
There is also a broader conversation coming for Baker Mayfield and the way the offense is being deployed overall. The Bucs are weighing adjustments to Mayfield's role while planning to lean more on Kenny Gainwell, and how those pieces fit together could go a long way toward determining whether this group can turn competitiveness into something more meaningful down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Tony Dungy Quietly Distances Himself From A Tampa Event
Tony Dungy will not be part of the Life Surge Christian wealth seminar scheduled for Tampa next month, a quiet but notable change involving one of the most recognizable figures tied to the city. The former Buccaneers coach had been associated with the event, which has drawn attention because of the broader conversation around Life Surge and the kind of audience it has been trying to reach.
The decision comes after recent reporting raised questions about the organization, including customer complaints and the cost of its courses, with Tim Tebows involvement also coming under scrutiny. Dungy is the latest prominent name to step away from the group, joining others who have also distanced themselves as the event approaches. [Read more 🡒]