Real Deal Or Contract Year Bump?
March 17th, 2026
Coach him up, coach.
Joe supposes these questions will linger until Al-Quadin Muhammad proves it wasn’t about his contract.
Look, Joe is happy as can be the Bucs signed a guy who had double-digit sacks last year in Muhammad. But Joe doesn’t think he’s an a-hole in wondering how a guy who was 30 broke out for 11 sacks, a career year.
His previous career-high was 6.
Nearly doubling your sack total at the same time as being in a contract year — at 30 — well, Joe is sorry, but it raises a Derrick Brooks-like eyebrow.
And despite Muhammad not known for playing the run well (allegedly), he also had a career-high last year in tackles for loss (9) and quarterback hits (20).
So why would a savvy guy like Dan Campbell let Muhammad walk? BSPN reported that Muhammad’s one-year contract could be worth up to $6 million. You mean the Lions are so strangled by the cap they couldn’t find a way to squeeze Muhammad onto the roster?
Joe doesn’t care if Muhammad has developed into a one-trick pony. If that one trick means he can make quarterbacks eat dirt, Joe welcomes him with open arms.
And if Bucs coach Todd Bowles has a hangup with Muhammad not being a good run defender (allegedly), then Bowles better find a way to adapt, adjust and overcome.
If Bowles doesn’t find a way to manufacture more sacks this year, he may find plenty of time to devise a new defense next January on his own time.
If that means playing a guy who can’t defend the run, well, time to suck it up and — here’s a novel concept — maybe coach Muhammad up to play the run better.