Baker Mayfield's contract frustration and Mike Evans departure cloud Buccaneers' 2026 outlook

When a franchise successfully transitions out of a legendary era without collapsing into a total rebuild, maintaining momentum becomes the ultimate goal.

Few teams in the NFL have managed that post-superstar transition quite like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers .

With head coach Todd Bowles entering another year at the helm and quarterback Baker Mayfield firmly entrenched as the franchise leader, Tampa Bay is aiming to prove that its reign atop the NFC South is far from over and that its postseason pedigree is here to stay.

The Buccaneers once again found themselves locked in a tight divisional battle, ultimately losing out on the NFC South crown.

At their best, Mayfield was playing with confidence, pushing the ball downfield and making big plays in high-leverage situations while the offense operated with real rhythm.

At their worst, defensive secondary lapses and occasional offensive lulls kept opponents in games longer than necessary.

Mayfield looked like an MVP for the first half of the season when the team went 6-2.

After their bye week, the wheels fell off as they lost seven of their final nine games.

Injuries were an issue all year, but they still needed to be better than what they showed.

PRO BOWL PLAYER REQUESTS TRADE FROM TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS ON EVE OF TRAINING CAMP AMID CONTRACT DISPUTE The biggest issue in my opinion with this offseason is that Mayfield has kind of expressed frustration, or disappointment, with the franchise.

They were apparently far apart on a contract, and that could make Mayfield a little less motivated for the team.

They also lost one of the best players in franchise history in Mike Evans as he went to San Francisco.

They have plenty of receivers, but Evans was still dominant and had a good connection with Mayfield.

They also lost a cornerback who was a solid contributor to the defense, Jamel Dean.