CBS Sports Reveals Best-Case and Worst-Case Scenario For Buccaneers In 2026

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had held domain over the NFC South since 2021, but that changed last season. The Bucs went 8-9 after a 6-2 start, missed the playoffs and relinquished the crown to the Carolina Panthers.

Naturally, the team looked to make some big changes after that, and that started with a complete overhaul on defense. The Bucs drafted players like edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. and linebacker Josiah Trotter and added free agents like Alex Anzalone and A'Shawn Robinson to help rectify this, and they also shored up their outside cornerbacks room by moving defensive back Jacob Parrish there.

The team is also doing some work on its offense, hiring former Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and signing running back Kenny Gainwell in free agency. The team lost wideout Mike Evans, but Chris Godwin, Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan could all step up in that room.

Obviously, the Bucs are hoping all of these things will work out, but there's a decent chance they don't. CBS writer Tyler Sullivan went over the best-case and worst-case scenarios for every NFL team, and he honed in on Tampa Bay's young players being a big deciding factor.

Best-Case Scenario

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws a pass against the Carolina Panthers in the first half at Raymond James Stadium. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

"Following an 8-9 season that saw Tampa Bay's five-season playoff streak and four straight division titles come to an end, the Buccaneers get back on track," Sullivan wrote. "Even with Mike Evans gone, the passing game spearheaded by Baker Mayfield is strong, especially with Emeka Egbuka making a Year 2 leap for the ages. He becomes the new go-to weapon on offense, while rookie pass rusher Rueben Bain Jr. and rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter help usher in a new era on defense. Tampa Bay takes back the NFC South and returns to the playoffs."

This would mean every change the Buccaneers made in the offseason clicked, and it would make ownership quite happy. If Egbuka made a leap in Year 2 and Bain impressed as much as everyone thinks he will in Year 1, Tampa Bay should win a lot of football games.

Robinson's hire is still an inherent risk by Tampa Bay, given how his two years in Atlanta went, but more offensive talent and a change of scenery could help him tremendously with the Bucs. Mayfield is also looking for a new contract, and if he gets one before training camp, he could come into the season rejuvenated.

Licht would be very pleased if every gamble he and Bowles made paid off like this, but that isn't often how it goes.

Worst-Case Scenario

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles walks around the field during warmups prior to a game against the Miami Dolphins | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

"The second-half struggles from Baker Mayfield (14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions over his final 11 games in 2025) persist in 2026. The young pieces the Buccaneers were hoping would rise up —like Egbuka and Bain Jr. — aren't ready for that responsibility just yet," Sullivan wrote. "That allows the rest of the division to continue closing the gap, with Atlanta and New Orleans both catching lightning in a bottle in their respective quarterback rooms. For the second straight year, the Bucs miss the playoffs, putting Todd Bowles' job firmly at risk."

This is more likely than many think. Mayfield's back-half slide is partially why the Bucs are hesitant in extending him this very moment, and Egbuka had a similar slide in the second half of the year last year. Bain will be a rookie, so it would be perfectly normal for him to struggle in his first year in the NFL.

If the Bucs weren't able to make the playoffs in 2026, there would certainly be questions about Bowles' job security. He's currently 1-3 in the playoffs and 36-36 overall in Tampa Bay, and the Glazers are likely hoping for something far more spectacular from Bowles this upcoming season.

If this scenario comes to pass, there would likely be sweeping changes across the entire organization, and things would look a lot different for Tampa Bay in 2027.

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram for the latest news.

Add us as a preferred source on Google