TAMPA, Fla. – It’s that time of year again.
As the calendar prepares to flip to August, NFL teams are reporting to training camp to get ready for another season.
Count the Tampa Bay Buccaneers among them as rookies report on Monday, July 27 and veterans will follow a day later.
Buccaneers Training Camp 2026
For the Bucs, training camp represents a chance to finally move past thoughts of last season’s hot start that gave way to a late-season collapse and saw the team miss the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
During its recent run, Tampa Bay made five straight playoff appearances, won four NFC South titles and captured the franchise’s second Super Bowl championship.
All that came to a screeching halt last year as the team lost seven of its last nine games to narrowly miss the postseason.
Plenty of questions welcome the players and coaches as they gather at One Buc Place for camp. Practics begin Wednesday and a practice session is open to the public on Thursday July 30. The first pre-season game set for Friday, August 14 at the New York Jets.
Here’s five questions heading into camp:
What will happen with quarterback Baker Mayfield’s contract extension?
Mayfield was generating MVP buzz during last season’s 6-2 start before injuries and losses piled up. He enters his contract year this season firmly as the face of the team and due for a bump in pay and a long-term deal. The question is how much ($50 million a year?) and for how long?
Mayfield is entering the final season of a three-year, $100 million extension he signed after reviving his career in Tampa Bay in 2023. Bucs general manager Jason Licht said he’s had conversations with Mayfield’s representatives and anticipates getting an extension done.
Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) calls a play during the Bucs’ 20-17 loss at Miami on December 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
“Baker is still our quarterback. He’s one of the toughest guys on the team. He’s a great leader,” Licht said. “Everything kind of revolves around the quarterback spot. At some point, I’m sure we’ll figure something out. There’s no timetable on that.”
Mayfield played in every game last season despite a list of injuries that hampered him in the back half of the season. Mayfield and his agent have said they won’t engage in contract talks once the regular season kicks off, setting the stage for free agency suitors for him next spring.
Will the Bucs defense be improved?
Possibly. The Bucs defense was lousy down the stretch last season, failing to put together a consistent pass rush or get off the field on 3rd down. Few plays represented that more than a pivotal December meeting against Atlanta when, clinging to a lead late in the fourth quarter, the Bucs defense allowed the Falcons to convert a 3rd and 28 while giving up a 14-point lead en route to an improbable and playoff-crippling 29-28 loss.
Longtime standout LB Lavonte David has retired, and the lineup looks to be shuffled along all three fronts.
Draft picks Ruben Bain and Josiah Trotter, join a defense that’s being revamped in hopes of returning to previous forms of dominance. A busy free-agency period brought in LBs Alex Anzalone and Christian Rozeboom and DLs Al-Quadin Muhammad and A’Shawn Robinson.
Draft picks include the versatile Miami defensive back Keionte Scott and Clemson defensive tackle DeMonte Capehart and the Bucs are hopeful of a defensive bounce back.
Is top draft pick Ruben Bain Jr. the real deal?
The Bucs are counting on it. The team is hopeful Bain will make a significant difference in their defense. The explosive edge rusher helped the Miami Hurricanes reach the college football national championship game last season, and the Bucs are confident his physical and emotional style of play will help them improve while regaining some of the swagger they lost during a second-half collapse in 2025.
“He plays with a mentality — a no-losing mentality — at all times,” coach Todd Bowles said. “He fights and plays with the right kind of attitude and mentality that we’re trying to bring to this team.”
How will the Bucs’ offense operate with WR Mike Evans gone?
Evans, a 10-time 1,000-yard receiver and the franchise’s receiving, touchdowns and scoring leader, departed to San Francisco this winter after 11 years.
It will be difficult to replace the leadership and production of the Bucs’ longtime offensive captain. But in steady veteran Chris Godwin, emerging players Emeka Egbuka, Tez Johnson and Jalen McMillan and draft pick Ted Hurst, the team is optimistic about a group approach. Add in a healthy Mayfield and running back Bucky Irving and the acquisition of RB Kenneth Gainwell, and playmakers abound.
Tampa Bay wide receivers Chris Godwin, Jr. and Emeka Egbuka (2) celebrate Egbuka’s touchdown during the Bucs’ 31-25 loss against Philadelphia in Tampa on Sept. 28, 2025. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Will more struggles land head coach Todd Bowles on the hot seat?
Bowles had led Tampa Bay to the playoffs in each of his first three seasons after replacing Bruce Arians in 2022. He has three years remaining on his contract and is clearly looking ahead, not back.
“I’ve earned the chance,” Bowles said about coming back this season. “I’ve won three straight division titles, so that says a lot as far as I’m concerned. I don’t really have a message for fans other than true fans are true fans and we’re going to try to do our best to go out there and win for them. They’re going to feel how they feel, but that’s not a coach’s problem. The coach’s problem is to make the team better and that’s all I’m looking forward to.”
Any speculation about Bowles job security was quickly answered after last season when team ownership announced he would return for 2026.
Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles answers questions during a news conference after the Bucs’ 20-17 win against the Arizona Cardinals in Tampa on November 30, 2025. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Bowles, who was the defensive coordinator under Arians when Tom Brady led the Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title five years ago, is 36-36, including 1-3 in the playoffs.
The team did revamp in coaching staff, making moves on both sides of the ball. Mostly notably, offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard was fired and Atlanta’s Zac Robinson was brought in.
Robinson was Atlanta’s offensive coordinator the past two seasons after serving as pass game coordinator/quarterbacks coach for two seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, where Mayfield started four games in 2022.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.