The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 2026 offense has a simple starting point, and it’s right there in front of Zac Robinson: Bucky Irving.
Robinson arrives with a better reputation as a play caller than Josh Grizzard, and the Buccaneers are banking on that upgrade to help Baker Mayfield get back near an MVP level over a full 17-game season. That job gets tougher with Mike Evans out of the picture, at least as the source material frames it, and it puts even more pressure on the pieces around Mayfield to carry their weight.
That’s where Irving comes in. Tampa Bay’s second-half collapse in 2025 exposed how much the offense missed him.
The Buccaneers had spent the first half of the season looking like a Super Bowl contender, but injuries derailed everything, and no absence mattered more than Irving’s. Without him, the offense lost its balance and became far too easy to defend.
Irving had already shown what he could do in 2024, when he helped the Bucs reach the playoffs with more than 1,100 rushing yards, nearly 10 rushing touchdowns, and well over five yards per carry. He was the kind of runner who could slice through a defense, pile up chunks, and punish teams between the tackles. When he wasn’t there, Tampa Bay had no real way to draw defenders in or threaten them over the top.
Robinson’s task now is to make sure that doesn’t happen again. The Buccaneers need Irving healthy in 2026, and they need to feed him everywhere: between the tackles, off the tackle, and on the pitch. The message is clear - trust him as the feature back.
Kenny Gainwell gives the offense another dimension, especially as a pass-catching threat after what he showed with finished Aaron Rodgers in 2025, but he’s there to complement Irving, not replace him. If Tampa Bay wants to be a truly elite offense next season, this has to be Irving’s show.
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Buccaneers Suddenly Look Stuck Between Baker And Their Next Quarterback
The Buccaneers are heading into training camp with Baker Mayfield still in place, but without the kind of contract resolution that would quiet the long-term questions around the position. Talks have stalled with a deadline looming at the start of camp, and while Mayfield is still expected to be Tampa Bays starter in 2026, the bigger picture remains unsettled for a team trying to balance present stability with future planning.
That uncertainty is why the quarterback conversation around Tampa Bay has started to widen beyond Mayfield. The Bucs have been tied in speculation to a possible trade for Clevelands Shedeur Sanders as a developmental option or eventual successor, though nothing official has been reported. For now, it leaves Tampa Bay in a familiar but uncomfortable spot, trying to hold the line with its current starter while also keeping an eye on what comes next. [Read more 🡒]
Todd Bowles Suddenly Faces A Defining Season In Tampa Bay
Todd Bowles enters the 2026 season with the kind of pressure that tends to come quickly in the NFL, especially for a coach who has already had to keep Tampa Bay competitive through a changing roster and rising expectations. The Buccaneers have been one of the steadier teams in the NFC in recent years, but the standard in Tampa Bay is no longer just staying relevant, it is turning that stability into another playoff run.
The warning signs are hard to ignore after a disappointing 2025 campaign, when the Buccaneers fell short of the postseason for the first time since Tom Bradys final season. Bowles also has to answer for a defense that did not live up to the investment made on that side of the ball, and with the leagues coaching carousel always moving, another uneven year could make this a defining stretch for his tenure. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Draft Class Is Earning Serious Respect Before Camp Begins
Before training camp even opens, the Buccaneers 2026 draft class is already drawing a little more national attention than most rookie hauls do this time of year. Sports Illustrated recently slotted Tampa Bay at No. 8 in its re-ranking of the class, with first-round edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr., third-round receiver Ted Hurst III and fourth-round defensive back Keionte Scott doing the heavy lifting in that early praise.
Bain gives the group its headline appeal after a college career built on relentless disruption, while Scott and Hurst look like the kind of mid-round additions that can push for real roles if they translate cleanly to the next level. Tampa Bay also added Josiah Trotter, DeMonte Capehart, Billy Schrauth and Bauer Sharp, but the full shape of this class will not really come into focus until camp starts sorting out who is ready to contribute right away and who still needs time. [Read more 🡒]