Todd Bowles believes the Buccaneers need more than a talented roster to bounce back in 2026. He wants Tampa Bay to develop an identity built around toughness, attitude and accountability.
Bowles Is Demanding a Different Mentality
The Buccaneers appeared to be rolling last season after opening 5-1. Everything changed after that, as Tampa Bay went 3-8 down the stretch and ultimately missed the playoffs for the first time since 2020.
Bowles has been clear about what bothered him most from that collapse. He felt the Buccaneers weren’t physical or demanding enough when things started going wrong.
That has made the team’s mentality a major focus heading into the September 13 season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals. Bowles believes the necessary change has already started taking shape.
He credits two veteran defensive tackles with helping establish that standard during the offseason and throughout training camp.
“The biggest change for me is A’Shawn Robinson and Nacho because they bring attitude, they bring accountability, and they call people out on it,” Bowles said. “They did that from Day 1 when we got in the offseason program and that made everybody else snap into shape and fall in line. And that was the biggest change for me. That was the biggest thing.”
Robinson Brings the Edge Tampa Bay Wants
A’Shawn Robinson and Rakeem Nunez-Roches, known around the league as “Nacho,” bring something Tampa Bay clearly believes it needed.
Neither veteran needs to become a superstar for their additions to matter. The Buccaneers are instead counting on them to bring physicality, confidence and accountability to a defense that needs a stronger presence.
Robinson represents the larger investment of the two. Tampa Bay gave the veteran defensive tackle $10 million, including $9.15 million guaranteed, as he enters his 11th NFL season.
The 31-year-old also brings legitimate production. Robinson finished last season with 65 tackles, 2.5 sacks, three tackles for loss and eight quarterback hits, along with a fumble recovery and three passes defensed.
Still, his biggest contribution could be the mentality he brings into the building. Robinson has never been shy about explaining where his aggressive approach originated.
“It comes from a little kid they used to pick on for not having anything – for being so poor,” Robinson said. “So you know what I did every day? I whipped somebody’s ass. Every day. Every day you said something, I’d beat the shit out of you. That’s where that came from.”
“Even in college, joke around, I’m gonna beat your ass. That’s just how I became and I’m the same way on the field. People talk and try to do dirty stuff. I just got tired of it. I just started letting people have it, let them know that I’m going to be the shit out of them, how I’m going to do it. I just destroy. I guess that’s how I was as a kid. If I can (create) madness, that’s how I saw it.”
Nacho Gives the Defense a Familiar Face
Nunez-Roches brings a different kind of value because Tampa Bay already knows exactly what it is getting.
The Buccaneers brought him back on a one-year, $1.3 million contract after he spent the previous three seasons with the Giants. The 33-year-old previously spent five seasons in Tampa Bay earlier in his career.
His importance to the franchise dates back to its Super Bowl-winning season. Nunez-Roches started 11 games in 2020 after Vita Vea suffered a significant leg injury.
Nunez-Roches is also coming off a career-best 3.0 sacks in 2025. His familiarity with the organization, combined with his veteran experience, gives Tampa Bay another voice capable of reinforcing Bowles’ expectations.
Tampa Bay Is Betting on Tougher Leaders
The Buccaneers aren’t limiting this approach to their defensive tackle room. Bowles also believes additions such as linebacker Alex Anzalone and outside linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. can help establish the same mentality.
That’s important because Tampa Bay’s biggest issue last season wasn’t necessarily a lack of talent. The team showed exactly what it could be during that 5-1 start before losing its way over the final 11 games.
Now, Bowles wants players who refuse to let that happen again. He wants veterans who will challenge teammates, demand accountability and bring an edge when the situation calls for it.
The Buccaneers are attempting to change how they respond when adversity arrives. Whether that attitude translates into better football will ultimately determine whether this new approach means anything.
Tampa Bay can talk about toughness all offseason. Starting September 13, the Buccaneers will have to prove it.
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