It won’t take long to figure out what kind of team the Buccaneers will field in 2026.
While rookies will contribute, very few make an immediate impact—especially pass rushers, which remains the most glaring weakness on this roster. Linebacker isn’t far behind, and some would argue it’s an even bigger concern.
The new NFL year begins March 11 at 4:00 PM, but realistically we’ll know the Bucs’ direction days before that, once free agency starts to take shape.
There are several defensive acquisitions that could instantly elevate this team into contender status. Without them, the outlook for the 2026 defense is mediocre at best. For the past two offseasons, Jason Licht has failed to land even one true impact defender via free agency. This time, he doesn’t have the luxury of patience.
What the Bucs do in free agency will tell us everything about how they view the 2026 season. To quote The Who, Buccaneer fans “won’t be fooled again” into believing the in-house options are enough.
The Bucs will be contenders if they:
- Trade for Maxx Crosby, or
- Sign Trey Hendrickson in free agency, or
- Sign K’Lavon Chaisson, or
- Sign TWO of the following: A.J. Epenesa, Khalil Mack, Jalen Phillips
The Bucs will be pretenders if they:
Sign any defensive player over the age of 31 and call it a solution.
Yes, linebacker still needs upgrading, and that’s another area worth watching closely. Teams tend to attack that position early in free agency, and the Bucs can’t afford to miss there either.
Jason Licht may have avoided the full wrath of the fans but if he doesn’t hit a home run in free agency at this position then his seat will be justifiably hot heading into the 2026.
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