The Bucs have plenty to like on offense, but there’s a real problem lurking underneath the talent. Chris Godwin Jr., Jalen McMillan and Bucky Irving all come with injury histories, and Tampa’s offensive line has its own durability questions after four of the five starters missed significant time in 2025.
If everything breaks right, this group can be dangerous. But that “if” hangs over the whole operation.
That uncertainty is a big reason ESPN ranked Tampa Bay’s collection of offensive weapons - running backs, receivers and tight ends - 22nd in the NFL out of 32 teams. And it’s why a bold trade idea has started to make some sense.
Mason Riney of Buccaneers Wire floated the possibility of the Bucs going after Arizona Cardinals All-Pro tight end Trey McBride, a move that would instantly change the ceiling of Tampa’s offense. McBride is one of the most productive tight ends in football, and he’s coming off a monster season with 126 receptions, 1,239 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns. That production made him the league’s second-leading receiver in catches and helped cement his status as one of the game’s premier weapons.
His standing around the league is already elite. Pete Prisco ranked McBride No. 18 on his list of the top 100 players in the NFL, a reminder of how valuable he’s become.
The question, of course, is whether Arizona would even entertain moving him. Garrett Podell of CBS Sports recently included McBride in a piece about five NFL stars who could be looking for a change of scenery.
Podell suggested McBride could give the Cardinals a path to address their quarterback situation by taking one early in the 2027 NFL Draft. For a team in rebuild mode, the kind of return McBride could bring would be a tempting way to accelerate the process.
If the Cardinals did decide to deal him, Tampa would make sense as a landing spot. The Bucs already have a strong offensive core in place, with Baker Mayfield giving them a franchise quarterback if he is extended, Irving offering big-play ability out of the backfield, and Emeka Egbuka emerging as a rising young star at receiver.
McBride has spent his entire career in Arizona, but if 2026 turns into another lost season for the Cardinals, the possibility of a trade could become more than just a speculative idea. And if Tampa found a way to pull it off, the Bucs’ offense would suddenly look capable of becoming one of the best in the league.
In Other News...
Baker Mayfield Just Drew The Criticism Bucs Fans Dread Most
Late in the 2025 season, Baker Mayfield found himself back in the familiar spot of being both the reason for hope and the source of debate in Tampa Bay. Buccaneers fans have largely stayed in his corner, especially with the expectation that a contract extension is coming, but not everyone around the league is viewing his year through the same optimistic lens. ESPN analyst Ryan Clark was among those raising eyebrows, pointing to the kind of uneven play that can make a quarterback conversation turn quickly.
For Tampa Bay, the unease is less about one bad stretch than the broader questions that have followed Mayfield at different points in his career. The concerns center on inconsistency, accuracy, decision-making and turnovers, all of which matter even more when a team is preparing to invest heavily in its starter. The Bucs may still be headed toward a long-term commitment, but Clarks comments are a reminder that the discussion around Mayfield is not nearly as settled as the fan base would like. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Fans Have A New Reason To Worry About Baker Mayfield
Baker Mayfields future in Tampa Bay is starting to feel like one of the quieter storylines worth watching as the Buccaneers move through the offseason. He and Vita Vea are both entering the final years of their contracts, and while Mayfield has made it clear he wants to stay with the team long term, the sides still have work to do before anything gets serious.
For now, the Bucs are keeping their flexibility and both players are focused on getting ready for the season ahead. But with camp approaching and no real movement on the extension front, the situation has the feel of something that could linger well into the summer if the sides do not find common ground soon. [Read more 🡒]
Bucky Irving Just Got The Disrespect Buccaneers Fans Will Hate
Bucky Irvings rise in Tampa Bay was one of the brighter storylines of his rookie year, when he gave the Buccaneers a dynamic presence in the backfield and quickly looked like a player the offense could build around. Even with injuries interrupting his second season, there was still enough of a track record to expect his name to show up when ESPNs Jeremy Fowler asked NFL personnel types to sort out the leagues best running backs.
Instead, Irving was left on the outside of the conversation entirely, not even landing in the honorable-mention tier as other backs such as Breece Hall, Quinshon Judkins, Travis Etienne Jr. and Alvin Kamara drew support. For a player who flashed like a future centerpiece in Tampa Bay, the omission is the kind of slight that tends to linger, especially when the Buccaneers are still trying to figure out just how high Irvings ceiling can be once hes healthy again. [Read more 🡒]