Would Jason Licht Realistically Trade Any Buccaneers Players?

The Bucs are nearing the trade deadline would they actually make any moves with their own players?

Oct 8, 2026; Arlington, Texas, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht looks on before the game between the Cowboys and the Buccaneers at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The NFL trade deadline is approaching. We're exactly one month away, and so any talks or significant developments on the trade market are beginning to fester as we approach Week 6 of the regular season and teams are more in-tune with what they need.

It's been a big week for trades, with center Cam Jurgens heading from Philidelphia to Baltimore and Arizona Cardinals wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. allegedly headed... somewhere after Sunday's slate. More trades will be soon to come, and all 32 teams likely have players that could be dealt this season.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 1-4 heading into Week 6. Things looked particularly dire before the team's 24-16 win over the Cowboys on Thursday Night Football, but with a win, the Bucs can seek to become the second team in NFL history to make the playoffs off a 0-4 start.

Do they need firepower to do that? Should general manager Jason Licht go all in and make a trade? Should the Bucs begin their rebuild early and try to get rid of some veterans for extra capital?

Will the Buccaneers Make a Trade Before the Deadline?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht talks to media after training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Almost certainly not. There are a few reasons, but we'll start with the biggest one — Licht isn't really a big trader.

He's only made one in-season trade during his entire tenure as Bucs GM, and that was when he gave the New York Jets a sixth-round pick in exchange for defensive tackle Steve McLendon in 2020. He's also not a huge fan of giving high value — the most he's ever exchanged for a player is a third-round pick when he traded for edge rusher Jason Pierre-Paul in 2018.

On the flip side, Licht has a bit more recent history dealing aging players to get capital, but never during the season — he flipped cornerback Carlton Davis to the Detroit Lions in 2024 before the season started to get a third-round pick back from them.

The Bucs have a few aging veterans on the team, but they tend to like all of them. Some options, like wideout Chris Godwin Jr., have a contract far greater than their ability, so other teams probably wouldn't bite on a trade for any of Tampa Bay's mainstays.

The Bucs also went into this season believing they were competitive, and even at a 0-4 start, they likely still believe that. The Bucs will try and turn things around from a disastrous start, and with that in mind, they're very likely to stay put at the trade deadline and try to make things work with the talent they have — and they aren't in the mindset of rebuilding.

The Bucs will try plenty of things over the next few weeks to try and get things going in Tampa Bay. Just don't expect trades to be one of them.

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