Josiah Trotter is about to find out just how fast the NFL can test a rookie linebacker.
The Buccaneers have spent the offseason reshaping their defense with free-agent additions, but Tampa Bay is also counting on its young players to make that transformation real. That includes a rookie class that has already pushed its way into major roles. Rueben Bain Jr. and Josiah Trotter have both been named starters, while Keionte Scott is expected to handle a meaningful workload in year 1.
Among that group, Trotter has made the strongest early impression. He’s earned praise from teammates and coaches alike during his first NFL offseason, and winning a starting job at one of the most important spots in Todd Bowles’ defense says plenty about how much trust the staff already has in him.
Now comes the real thing, and Trotter’s first assignment is a steep one: Joe Burrow and the Bengals.
Speaking with Logan Robinson of BucsGameday, Trotter talked through the challenge ahead and made it clear he knows where the danger starts.
"QB, that's the first thing. You've seen a guy like that, make the reads, make the throws, and then he also has weapons with him," Trotter said. "That's the biggest threat right there on their offense, just the weapons he has, the receiver position and all the way to the running back, you know, who's getting a lot of touches as well, not just for the run game but the receiving game."
Trotter also laid out the kind of approach he wants Tampa Bay to bring against Cincinnati’s quarterback.
"He has a lot of weapons that he can throw to, especially being an elite QB" Trotter said. "so just try to be able to contain that, and try to, you know, get to him, gotta try to rattle him early and try to keep it going."
That aggressive edge fits what the Buccaneers have seen from him already. Trotter’s game is built on controlled aggression, and Sunday will be the first time fans get to see it matter in a regular-season setting.
In Other News...
Emeka Egbuka Is Already Shaping More Than The Bucs Offense
Emeka Egbuka has quickly become part of the Buccaneers everyday conversation for reasons that go well beyond what he does on the field. In his second NFL season, the wide receiver has leaned into a Christian faith that he says anchors his life, and that foundation has carried into the Tampa Bay locker room, where he has taken part in Bible studies with teammates and found support from players and staff who have helped shape his spiritual growth.
For Egbuka, faith is not just a personal detail tucked away from football, but something he says gives him hope, strength and peace in a demanding profession. That kind of presence can matter in a locker room, especially for a young player still growing into his role, and it helps explain why his influence around the Bucs has started to stretch well beyond the offense. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Receivers Just Added A Wild New Twist To Franchise History
The Buccaneers receiver room found itself in an unusual bit of franchise history this season, with Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka both turning in the kind of scoring sequence that stands out even in a league that has seen nearly everything. Sports Illustrated recognized the pair as co-winners of its 2025 Octopus of the Year award, honoring players who score a touchdown and then follow it with two successful two-point conversions in the same game.
Godwin did it against the Falcons in Week 15, while Egbuka pulled off the same rare sequence earlier against the Seahawks. Together, their efforts accounted for two of the three such scoring feats in the NFL this season, a quirky distinction that speaks to just how impactful Tampa Bays pass catchers were when the offense needed points in tight spots. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Suddenly Have A Bigger Ayden Garnes Question Than Expected
Ayden Garnes went from undrafted rookie to one of the more intriguing names in Buccaneers camp almost as soon as the pads came on. He flashed in training camp, then backed it up in the preseason with an interception returned for a touchdown in the opener, the kind of play that gets a player noticed quickly in Tampa Bay. By the time the roster was trimmed, he had earned a place on the 53-man roster and looked like a backup corner with a real chance to push for more.
Now the question around Garnes is no longer whether he belongs in the conversation, but how soon the Buccaneers might need him to be more than depth. A player who impressed enough to make the team after entering as an undrafted rookie naturally carries a different kind of intrigue once the season begins, especially at a position where opportunity can appear fast. For Tampa Bay, Garnes has already gone from camp story to rostered defender, and the next step may be just as revealing. [Read more 🡒]