Sunday’s Buccaneers-Vikings matchup at Raymond James Stadium comes with a built-in family subplot: Ben Bredeson will line up on Tampa Bay’s offensive line while his younger brother, Max, suits up for Minnesota.
The two won’t cross paths on the field, but they will share the same stadium with family members expected in the stands. There is, however, one house rule for the day. Nobody gets to wear a divided allegiance.
“That was the one rule we put in,” said Ben, the Bucs’ starting right guard. “No split jersey.
You have to pick a side. So we’ll see what everybody wears on Sunday.”
Ben is 28 and five years older than Max, a rookie fullback for the Vikings. This is Ben’s seventh NFL season, and he has already logged stops with the Ravens and Giants. Before that, he built a decorated run at Michigan as a two-time captain, three-time All-Big Ten selection and 2019 second-team All-American.
He’s had a clear view of Max’s climb, from a walk-on quarterback at Michigan to a fullback in the NFL. Ben watched the early part of that journey, including the bumps that came with it.
“Everything kind of in the beginning of Max’s football career, not a lot went his way in terms of injuries and things like that,” Ben said. “It’s great to see that things are panning out for him now.
He stuck to that. He never messed up and never did anything wrong.
It’s good to see it all paying off for him.”
Max’s college path kept trending upward from there. In 2022, he played 14 games with one start and caught five passes for 78 yards.
The following year, he was the Most Improved Player on Offense. By 2024, he was a Wolverines team captain and started six games.
Last year, after moving to full-time fullback, he won the Lowman Trophy as the nation’s best at the position and earned third-team All-Big Ten honors.
“He did everything in college that I wanted to,” Ben said. “You know, the timing works.
Max had a phenomenal college career. Like he came in scrawny and left a national champion.
Big Ten champion three times. Fullback.
… I’m really happy for him."
The brothers’ meeting arrives with the teams headed in different directions through two weeks. Minnesota is 2-0 after beating the Packers 39-22 and the Bears 9-3. Tampa Bay is 0-2 after losses to the Bengals, 33-27, and the Browns, 23-19.
For the Bucs, the issue has not been the run game so much as the protection in front of Baker Mayfield. He has been sacked seven times and lost three fumbles.
“It’s early in the year and we’re close. We’re close on a lot of things,” Bredeson said.
“We’ve just got to play together and put a complete game together. I don’t think it’s any time to hit the panic button.
Nothing like that. I don’t think anyone here is feeling that.”
Even with the standings pointing one way and the records another, the Bredeson brothers have stayed in regular contact this week.
“I talk to him pretty much every day,” Ben said. “I wouldn’t say any smack talk or anything like that.
Who knows if that’s going to shift? But you know, I check in with him every day to see how he’s doing, and we haven’t really talked much about the game in all honesty.
It’s more just catching up and seeing how he’s doing out there.”
Max’s NFL timing worked out neatly. The Vikings selected him in the fifth round, and he stepped into the role vacated by C.J.
Ham, who retired after 10 seasons. With so few teams using a fullback, Minnesota proved to be the right landing spot.
The NFL has seen its share of brother-vs.-brother moments, from Ronde Barber facing twin Tiki Barber to Michael Bennett playing while Martellus Bennett was on the other sideline. John Lynch also once knocked out his brother-in-law, Bears tight end John Allred, at Soldier Field in 1997.
This one will be different only in the sense that Ben and Max won’t be on the field together at the same time. The family connection will still be impossible to miss.
“I don’t know if we’ll get emotional at all,” Ben said. “I think my older brother and my parents might a little bit.
But you know, for us it’s still Sunday. We’ve still got to go out there and win.
And you know, I love him. I’ll talk to him before the game and after, but you know, we’ve got to go out there and get a win.”
In Other News...
Buccaneers Veteran Linebacker Gamble Already Looks Like A Serious Problem
The Buccaneers brought in Alex Anzalone to give a defense in transition some much-needed stability after Lavonte Davids retirement, hoping a veteran presence could steady the middle of the unit. Instead, the first two weeks of the 2026 season have brought the opposite kind of attention, with Anzalone drawing widespread criticism for missed tackles and coverage lapses that have stood out on a defense trying to find its footing.
What makes the situation more pressing is how directly those mistakes have affected game outcomes, turning a short-term answer into an early headache for the coaching staff. Tampa Bay is now reportedly weighing whether to bench him, a consideration that says plenty about how quickly the move has gone from a practical fix to a serious problem. [Read more 🡒]
Rond Barber Just Turned Up The Heat On The Buccaneers
The Buccaneers early-season stumble has already created an uneasy feeling around the building, and former Tampa Bay standout Ronde Barber added to it with his blunt assessment of a team that has looked out of sync on both sides of the ball. Through the first stretch of the 2026 season, the issues have been pretty clear: too many mistakes, not enough urgency, and not much to suggest the Bucs have found a steady rhythm yet.
Now the pressure shifts quickly to avoiding an 0-3 start against the Vikings, a place where the margin for error keeps shrinking with every missed assignment and stalled drive. For Tampa Bay, the challenge is no longer just about cleaning up a slow start. It is about finding some traction before the mood around the team gets even heavier. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Face A New Problem As Baker's Familiar Rival Comes To Town
Baker Mayfield knows Kyler Murray almost as well as anyone in Sundays matchup at Raymond James Stadium. The two were Oklahoma teammates, both went on to win the Heisman Trophy and both were taken No. 1 overall in the NFL draft, so the connection between them runs deeper than the usual quarterback-vs.-quarterback storyline. Mayfield spoke publicly about Murray this week, acknowledging the reputation that follows him while also praising the work ethic that helped shape his path.
It adds another layer to a game the Buccaneers already need. Mayfield and Tampa Bay are still searching for their first win of the 2026 season, while Murray arrives having recently cleared concussion protocol after taking a hit in his Vikings debut. For the Bucs, the challenge is not just stopping a familiar name, but dealing with a player whose familiarity comes with plenty of history and a little extra motivation on both sides. [Read more 🡒]