“I was in New Orleans for four years where they had the solidified leaders of Drew Brees, Demario Davis and Cam [Jordan], those guys. So, when I got to Detroit, there weren’t a ton of leaders,” explained Anzalone. “It was the first time in my career that I noticed people looking at me for answers or a calming presence. That’s how it developed. I was a five-time captain there and that’s how things progressed for me as a leader.”
Now, Anzalone’s football journey has brought him back to Florida, starting a new chapter in his professional career with the Buccaneers. Although the Bucs are not in a rebuild, the veteran enters a system in need of a physicality boost. The Bucs have been clear throughout the offseason that they wanted to add players with edge, a pungent confidence that you cannot ignore. Anzalone has proven he is a leader of men who was forged in a system of grit. He is the exact enforcer this team needs to help regain their winning ways.
His play is not the only thing that talks. Anzalone also has a knack for lifting others, helping them reach their potential. Lions linebacker Jack Campbell played alongside Anzalone for the first three years of his career and was named a first-team All-Pro in 2025. Campbell learned under Anzalone and has since flourished into one of the league’s best. Now in Tampa Bay, Josiah Trotter gets that same opportunity and Anzalone already sees the making of a good linebacker in the league.
“You look for the little things that the scouting department is looking at too,” said Anzalone. “Can he diagnose? Does he have a good trigger? Is he physical? Can he play in space? Those are the keys in the NFL nowadays and I think Josiah has a lot of them. He has to continue learning and growing in his knowledge of the game, not necessarily knowing what he is supposed to do, but knowing what play is about to come offensively.”
So, all of this brings us back to today, right now, 2026 Training Camp. The Bucs are still figuring out what this version of the team will become. There is promise, there is intrigue and there are still plenty of questions left to answer. Time will tell but one thing needs no answering at all – Anzalone will do whatever it takes to build a winner.
“You just want to win games,” stated Anzalone. “That’s going to put you in a good position in the postseason and beyond. That’s the priority. Just being the best me. Being on top of all my p’s and q’s. Not messing up, no mental errors. Playing fast, free and having and trying to take the guys with me.”