The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a unit that could end up doing a lot more heavy lifting than people are giving it credit for.
Most of the conversation around Tampa Bay’s 2026 outlook has centered on the offense without Mike Evans and on how the defense will look after its new additions. That has left the offensive line a little out of the spotlight, even though it might be one of the strongest groups on the roster.
At the center of it all is All-Pro tackle Tristan Wirfs, and if the Bucs can keep him and the rest of the front healthy, this line has the talent to rank among the NFL’s best.
That health piece matters because 2025 was a rough step back. Wirfs missed five games, left guard Ben Bredeson and right tackle Luke Goedeke each missed six, and right guard Cody Mauch was lost after Week 2 with a serious knee injury. In all, 80% of Tampa Bay’s starting offensive line missed a significant chunk of the season.
The ripple effect showed up in the scoring. The Bucs went from 29.5 points per game in 2024 to 22.4 in 2025, a full touchdown drop.
When the group was intact in 2024, it helped power Tampa Bay to the league’s third-ranked overall and passing offense, along with the fourth-best rushing attack. That’s the version the Bucs are trying to get back to as 2026 approaches.
The run game, in particular, took a hit. Bucky Irving followed up his breakout rookie season in 2024 - 1,122 rushing yards, eight touchdowns and a 5.4 yards-per-carry average - by dropping to 3.4 yards per carry in 2025. He also missed a large chunk of the year because of injuries and is aiming for a bounce-back season.
Tampa Bay also added Kenneth Gainwell in free agency, giving Irving a new backfield partner with the chance to form one of the league’s most explosive running back duos. But that kind of ceiling starts up front, and the offensive line will have to set the tone.
Wirfs remains the headliner. He was recently ranked the 22nd best player in the entire NFL by Pete Prisco of CBS Sports, though that might undersell just how good he is. Along with Penei Sewell of the Detroit Lions, Wirfs sits in the top tier of tackles in the league.
If the Bucs can stay healthy, their offensive line has a real chance to be one of the best in football. And if that happens, it could be the engine that drives a dangerous offense.
In Other News...
Should The Buccaneers Go All In For Denzel Ward
The Browns decision to move Myles Garrett earlier this offseason has already changed the way the rest of the league views Clevelands roster, and it has put Denzel Ward squarely into the kind of trade conversation that usually only comes up when a team starts thinking bigger-picture. For the Buccaneers, that matters because they are still looking for a true top cornerback to anchor the back end of the defense, and Wards name naturally fits a need that has been hard to ignore.
Tampa Bay is one of the teams being discussed as a possible landing spot before the 2026 season, alongside Detroit and San Francisco, which says plenty about how the market could form if Cleveland keeps leaning into a reset. The question for the Bucs is whether they would be willing to pay the price in draft capital or part with a young defensive back to make a move like that happen, especially if Ward becomes available sooner rather than later. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Offense Just Got A Brutal Verdict Fans Wont Ignore
The Buccaneers offense is heading into the kind of summer that invites a lot of second-guessing, especially after ESPNs Bill Barnwell slotted Tampa Bays weapons group 22nd in the league. That is a steep drop from where the unit stood a year ago, and it reflects a mix of uncertainty around the supporting cast and the simple reality that the Bucs are asking a lot from players who will have to carry more of the load.
Chris Godwin Jr., Bucky Irving and rookie Ted Hurst all sit in the middle of that conversation, which is where Tampa Bays hope and worry overlap. The offense still has enough talent to matter, but the questions are obvious: who stays healthy, who holds up over a full season, and who is ready to turn potential into production before the rest of the league forces the issue. [Read more 🡒]
Baker Mayfield Just Got Hit With Another Brutal National Snub
Baker Mayfields run in Tampa Bay has already given the Buccaneers a steadier stretch than many expected when he arrived, with three seasons, a 27-24 regular-season mark and a playoff win to show for it. Even after that kind of production, CBS Sports still slotted him into its volatile veterans group in its quarterback rankings, a bucket that suggests more uncertainty than the Bucs have actually gotten from him.
The placement feels especially notable because Mayfield has stacked up well statistically in recent seasons and has helped keep Tampa Bay in the mix. For a quarterback who has become central to the teams identity, the bigger question now is whether the national view catches up before his next contract decision becomes part of the conversation. [Read more 🡒]