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BY IRA KAUFMAN
Suggesting a lot of jobs are on the line for the 2026 Buccaneers is akin to saying the New York Knicks were overdue for an NBA championship.
Understatements to be sure.
Every Tampa Bay fan realizes Todd Bowles will be coaching for his job this fall. Last year’s post-bye collapse shook up the Glazers, but they are giving Bowles a second chance to right a listing pirate ship. Another losing season and it will be man overboard.
Bowles has plenty of nervous company with him heading into this most consequential of Buc seasons.
When the 2027 free-agent market unfolds next March, there could be some juicy Buccaneers among the top names.
Much depends on whether the Bucs prove themselves to be an ascending team. They were on a positive track for two years before allowing an inferior club — the Panthers — to steal a division title that appeared locked up once again at One Buc Place.
Here are 10 players the Bucs must make decisions on: Baker Mayfield, Vita Vea, Chris Godwin, YaYa Diaby, Cody Mauch, Anthony Nelson, Chase McLaughlin, A’Shawn Robinson, Al-Quadin Muhammad and Sean Tucker.
Not all 10 are potential unrestricted free agents. Godwin has a contract for 2027, but none of it is guaranteed.
Godwin is 30 and if he can stay healthy enough to register his fifth 1,000-yard season, he’ll likely be back. But should Godwin struggle to make an impact, Jason Licht is likely to take the significant dead cap hit and wave goodbye to the second-best wide receiver in franchise history.
Vita Vea
Some decisions already have been made.
For instance, Mayfield isn’t going anywhere. If necessary, the Bucs will slap a franchise tag on Mayfield to keep him under center for at least one more year should contract talks go awry.
At 27, Diaby should be entering his peak years. His solid production figures to improve if rookie Rueben Bain Jr. lives up to the hype.
Mauch, also 27, proved his worth to the organization in 2025 when his absence for all but two games at right guard was felt across the offensive landscape. Mauch’s physicality is a tone-setter up front and Licht isn’t about to let one of his favorite players escape town.
Vea is an interesting case.
At 31, his best years may be behind him. That said, he remains a dynamic force who demands double teams and worries opposing offensive coordinators. More than any potential free agent on Tampa Bay, his future will be shaped by the 2026 standings. Another losing season would likely trigger Vea’s departure after nine years.
Nelson has been a valuable backup on the edge, but he turns 30 in March and the Bucs will want to get younger at the position … especially if things go south.
McLaughlin remains one of the NFL’s premier long-range kickers and Licht surely can’t relish the idea of looking for a replacement.
Robinson and Muhammad, both on the wrong side of 30, arrive on one-year deals. Like Vea, their futures will be shaped by the scoreboards that flash in the fall.
Tucker, only 24, craves more opportunities to make plays. In one of the great lost stats of 2025, Tucker led the Bucs in touchdowns (8), despite playing only 16 percent of the offensive snaps. Why not keep him around as insurance behind Bucky Irving and Kenneth Gainwell?
Jobs are theoretically on the line every year in the NFL, but the sense of urgency for the 2026 Buccaneers should be palpable. From the head coach on down, job security hinges on 17 outcomes.
For players like Vea and Godwin, it’s a final chance to stick with a franchise standing at the crossroads.