Buccaneer Blitz

BUCCANEERBLITZ | 4 DAYS TO TRAINING CAMP

#4 — Chase McLaughlin | Placekicker

FOUR DAYS, Buccaneer Blitz fans…and today’s spotlight is on one of the most underappreciated but absolutely essential pieces of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — the man with the golden boot, Chase McLaughlin, #4!

Born April 9, 1996 in Cypress, Texas, McLaughlin played college ball at the University of Illinois where he won Big Ten Kicker of the Year honors in 2018 before going undrafted in 2019. What followed was a journey that would test anyone’s resolve — before landing in Tampa Bay, McLaughlin had suited up for eight different NFL teams, including multiple stints with both the Vikings and Colts. That kind of road builds mental toughness. That kind of road forges a kicker who doesn’t crack under pressure.

Then he found his home. When McLaughlin first joined the Buccaneers in March of 2023, expectations weren’t exactly sky-high for the veteran journeyman — but he quickly silenced every doubter. In his very first season in Tampa, he set a new single-season franchise record by making 93.3% of his field goal attempts  — the best accuracy mark in Buccaneers history. The front office rewarded him immediately with a three-year, $12.3 million contract extension. From journeyman to franchise cornerstone in one season.

The excellence didn’t stop there. He finished the 2024 regular season having gone 30-for-32 (93.8%) on field goals — inching past his own franchise record — while going 54-for-56 on PATs. And in 2025, despite some early-season struggles, McLaughlin bounced back to finish with a career-best 32 field goals made on 38 attempts, going an outstanding 11-for-12 from 50-plus yards. The big leg is very much alive and well.

Perhaps most memorably, McLaughlin drilled a 57-yard field goal against the Minnesota Vikings and a 56-yarder against the Washington Commanders in the Wild Card playoffs  — the kind of clutch, long-distance performances that make coaches sleep soundly on game nights. He enters 2026 as one of the most trusted kickers in the entire NFL and is locked in as Tampa Bay’s placekicker through the season. 

Four days until training camp, and when the Bucs need three points — or need to win a game from 55 yards out — #4 is the man Bucs Nation can count on. Every championship team has a kicker they trust completely. Tampa Bay has Chase McLaughlin.

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have unveiled their exciting plans to don their retro 1976 white creamsicle uniforms for this year’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers on December 13th. Who's ready to grab a jersey?

BUCCANEERBLITZ | 5 DAYS TO TRAINING CAMP

#5 — Jake Browning | Quarterback

FIVE DAYS, Bucs Nation — and today’s spotlight is on the man tasked with one of the most important jobs in football: being ready the moment Baker Mayfield needs him. Meet Tampa Bay’s veteran backup quarterback — Jake Browning, #5!

Born April 11, 1996 in Folsom, California, Browning was a standout at the University of Washington, earning Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year honors in 2016 before going undrafted in 2019.  He spent time with the Minnesota Vikings before landing with the Cincinnati Bengals, where he spent five seasons learning the craft behind one of the NFL’s best quarterbacks in Joe Burrow.

Then came his moment. When Burrow went down with a season-ending injury in 2023, Browning stepped in and absolutely delivered — leading the Bengals to a 4-3 record, throwing for 1,936 yards, 12 touchdowns and seven interceptions across nine games while leading the entire NFL in completion percentage at 70.3%.  That’s not a backup performance — that’s a starter showing the world he belongs.

Now in Tampa Bay after signing a one-year deal on March 13, 2026, Browning is a natural fit in new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson’s system — particularly because he excels at playing under center, which Robinson is expected to feature heavily in the Bucs’ offensive scheme.  And the football world has already taken notice — PFF named Browning to their All-Undrafted Team for 2026, with his 66.7 PFF passing grade topping all undrafted quarterbacks who dropped back at least 100 times over the past three seasons.

Every championship-caliber team needs a backup quarterback they genuinely trust. For the 2026 Tampa Bay Buccaneers, that man is Jake Browning — a battle-tested, proven performer who has already shown he can win NFL games when called upon. Five days until training camp, #5 arrives ready to compete, ready to support, and ready to perform if his number is called. That’s exactly what Bucs Nation needs.

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BUCCANEERBLITZ | 6 DAYS TO TRAINING CAMP

#6 — Baker Mayfield | Quarterback

SIX DAYS, Bucs Nation — and there is only one player worthy of the six-day spotlight. The man who changed everything in Tampa Bay. The franchise quarterback. The leader of the Krewe. Baker Mayfield, #6!

Let’s take a moment to appreciate just how far this journey has come. In 2023, Baker Mayfield signed a one-year, $4 million “prove it” deal with the Buccaneers — a contract so modest that half the league wrote him off before he threw his first pass in pewter and red. What happened next was one of the greatest redemption stories in modern NFL history. Mayfield threw for 4,044 yards, 28 touchdowns and only 10 interceptions while completing a career-high 64.3% of his passes, instantly becoming the most popular man in Tampa Bay. The Buccaneers rewarded him with a three-year, $100 million extension — and he repaid that faith in 2024 by setting career highs in passing yards (4,500), touchdowns (41), and rushing yards (378) in one of the best quarterback seasons in franchise history.

Yes, 2025 had its rough patches. An impressive 6-2 start dissolved into an 8-9 finish, thanks in large part to significant injuries to key players.  Last year was his worst in Tampa in terms of yards per attempt, touchdown rate, and bad throw rate.  But context matters — injuries ravaged the roster around him, and Baker pushed through his own physical issues to keep competing. That’s who he is.

The offense still features plenty of talent heading into 2026. Chris Godwin remains a consistent receiver, while Emeka Egbuka appears ready for a larger role after an encouraging rookie season of 63 catches for 938 yards at 14.8 yards per catch. Add a healthy Bucky Irving, an electric Jalen McMillan, and new weapons like Ted Hurst III and Tez Johnson, and new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson has the tools to build something special around Mayfield.

The Buccaneers enter the season with the NFC South’s most reliable quarterback in Baker Mayfield.  Six days from now, when he takes that first snap of training camp at AdventHealth Training Center, a whole new chapter begins. A contract year. A point to prove. A city that believes in him. Bucs Nation — this is Baker Mayfield’s moment. Don’t miss a second of it.

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BUCCANEERBLITZ | 7 DAYS TO TRAINING CAMP

#7 — Bucky Irving | Running Back

ONE WEEK, Bucs Nation! 7 days until the pads go on at AdventHealth Training Center — and there is no better player to spotlight at the 7-day mark than the heartbeat of Tampa Bay’s offense, the electrifying Bucky Irving, #7!

A fourth-round pick (125th overall) out of the University of Oregon in the 2024 NFL Draft, Irving exploded onto the scene as a rookie in ways nobody outside of Tampa Bay fully anticipated. He rushed for 1,122 yards on 207 carries, averaging a jaw-dropping 5.4 yards per carry while scoring eight touchdowns — becoming the first Buccaneers running back to crack 1,000 yards since the legendary Doug Martin in 2015. Per Next Gen Stats, Irving forced the highest missed tackle rate among all qualifying NFL ball carriers with at least 150 touches in 2024 at 35.8 percent. The man simply does not go down easy. His patience, balance, and ability to make defenders miss in the open field are elite — the kind of traits that can’t be coached.

Then 2025 delivered a gut punch. A serious shoulder injury that he gutted through for weeks before ultimately requiring offseason surgery limited him to just 10 games. It was the first real adversity of his NFL career, and it stung. But what happened next tells you everything about who Bucky Irving is — he attacked his recovery with the same relentless determination that made him a 1,000-yard rusher. When he made his OTA debut this spring, coaches and teammates couldn’t stop talking about his explosion and energy. The shoulder surgery? Behind him. The rust? Gone.

Even his former backfield teammate Rachaad White — now with another team — gave Irving some bulletin board material this offseason, suggesting Gainwell might be Tampa’s best back in 2026. Irving has heard it. And Irving doesn’t forget. As he told the media last summer: “I don’t pay attention to all that” — the quiet confidence of a player who lets his feet do the talking.

Even with questions surrounding his recovery timeline, Irving remains the player around whom the Buccaneers’ rushing attack is built.  New offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is known for featuring dynamic, explosive backs — and in Bucky Irving, he has one of the most dynamic young runners in the entire NFL. With seven days to go until training camp kicks off, Bucs Nation, the excitement is REAL. When #7 is healthy and unleashed, this offense is a completely different animal. Get ready.

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BUCCANEERBLITZ | 8 DAYS TO TRAINING CAMP

#8 — SirVocea Dennis | Linebacker

8 days, Bucs Nation — and today’s spotlight is on a player whose back is firmly against the wall heading into the most important training camp of his young career. This is SirVocea Dennis, #8 — and he has everything to prove in just 8 days.

Born March 9, 2000, in Syracuse, New York, Dennis was a First-team All-ACC linebacker at the University of Pittsburgh before the Buccaneers selected him in the fifth round (153rd overall) of the 2023 NFL Draft. In college he played alongside future NFL players and showed the kind of playmaking ability and football IQ that made him an intriguing developmental prospect. The Bucs were so high on Dennis that during the 2025 NFL Draft they were universally expected to address linebacker — and opted not to, because they were that confident in Dennis taking over the starting role next to the legendary Lavonte David.

He finally got his shot in 2025, starting all 16 games and playing 910 snaps. But the results were mixed. Dennis earned a 49.1 PFF grade, ranking 72nd out of 88 linebackers — particularly struggling in pass coverage, one of the most critical skills in Todd Bowles’ defensive system. And the front office responded decisively. The Buccaneers signed former Lions linebacker Alex Anzalone in free agency, along with former Panthers linebacker Christian Rozeboom, and drafted Josiah Trotter in the second round of the 2026 NFL Draft. Three linebackers brought in to compete for two spots. The message was loud and clear.

But here’s the thing about training camp — it’s where reputations get remade. Dennis is 26 years old, physically gifted, and has the experience of 16 NFL starts under his belt. He knows this system. He knows what Todd Bowles demands. And he knows exactly what’s at stake when the pads go on July 27th. Sometimes the greatest motivator in football is a front office that bets against you.

SirVocea Dennis went from a 16-game starter who played 910 snaps in 2025 to the biggest candidate to be a bust in 2026  — at least according to the outside noise. But inside that locker room, inside that weight room, and inside his own head, Dennis has a chance to make everyone who doubted him look very foolish come September. Eight days, #8. This is YOUR moment.

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BUCCANEERBLITZ | 9 DAYS TO TRAINING CAMP

#9 — Riley Dixon | Punter

9 days, Bucs Nation — and today’s spotlight is on the man with the big boot and something major to prove in 2026! Meet Riley Dixon, #9!

Born August 24, 1993 in Oneida, New York, Dixon is a Syracuse product who was selected by the Denver Broncos in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL Draft. Over a decade in the NFL later, he has punted 731 times for 33,502 yards — leading the NFL in punts, punting yards, and net punting yards from 2016 through 2024, while ranking third in punts inside the 20-yard line.  The man flat-out knows how to flip a field.

The biggest change heading into 2026? The entire Buccaneers special teams unit was a mess last season under Thomas McGaughey, but new special teams coordinator Danny Smith — a highly respected veteran voice — has been brought in to turn things around. Dixon even earned NFC Special Teams Player of the Week honors in Week 13 of 2025 for a clutch performance against the Arizona Cardinals, showing the talent is absolutely still there when everything clicks.

Nine days until training camp, and Riley Dixon has a score to settle. Under a new special teams coordinator, with a full year in the system under his belt and a chip on his shoulder the size of Raymond James Stadium, don’t be surprised if #9 quietly becomes one of the most improved players on the entire roster in 2026. The boot is loaded.

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BUCCANEERBLITZ | 10 DAYS TO TRAINING CAMP

#10 — Jalon Daniels | Quarterback

10 days, BuccaneerBlitz fans, and today’s spotlight is on a player who nobody drafted but everybody in Tampa Bay is already buzzing about! Meet the Buccaneers’ most intriguing rookie quarterback — Jalon Daniels, #10!

Born October 29, 2002 in Lawndale, California, Daniels spent six seasons at the University of Kansas, where he was named the Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year in 2023 before a back injury cut that season short at 3-0. He bounced back to play all 12 games in both 2024 and 2025, racking up big numbers for the Jayhawks with his dual-threat ability. Standing 6-foot-1 and 219 pounds with a blazing 4.65-second 40-yard dash, Daniels is one of the better athletes at the quarterback position — a scrambler who doesn’t hesitate to take off between the tackles and who makes plays from awkward arm angles when the pocket breaks down.

When head coach Todd Bowles was asked about Daniels during mandatory minicamp, he couldn’t contain his praise: “He didn’t put the ball on the ground; he didn’t turn it over. He’s probably one of the more energetic rookies that I’ve seen come in in quite some time. The game’s not too big for him. He’s full of energy in the building. Very happy to be here. Very smart. Very intelligent.” That’s a ringing endorsement from one of the most demanding head coaches in the NFL.

Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds has already singled Daniels out as a “dark horse” candidate to crack the 53-man roster, writing: “Tampa Bay absolutely loves the potential of the former Kansas QB, who has a live arm and 4.65 speed as a scrambler. If Daniels impresses in camp and makes a lot of plays in the preseason, he could force his way onto the roster as a developmental QB rather than just being on the practice squad in that role.”

Behind Baker Mayfield and veteran backup Jake Browning, training camp is Daniels’ runway — 10 days away — to show the coaching staff he belongs on an NFL roster. The raw tools are there. The coaching staff already loves his energy and football IQ. Now it’s time to put it all together under the July sun at AdventHealth Training Center. Keep your eyes on #10, Bucs Nation — this could be the most fun quarterback battle in Tampa Bay in years!

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BUCCANEERBLITZ | 11 DAYS TO TRAINING CAMP

#11 — Jalen McMillan | Wide Receiver

11 days, Buccaneer Blitz fans… and today’s spotlight is on a player whose journey over the past two years has been one of pure courage, grit, and an unbreakable will to play football. Meet Jalen McMillan, #11!

A third-round pick (92nd overall) out of the University of Washington in the 2024 NFL Draft, McMillan announced himself to the world in spectacular fashion as a rookie. During his first NFL season in 2024, he totaled 37 receptions for 461 yards and eight touchdowns in 13 games … seven of those touchdowns coming during his final five games of the season, tying Mike Evans and Jimmie Giles for the most touchdowns during any five-game span in franchise history and matching Ja’Marr Chase for the only such run that year.  The sky was the limit.

Then 2025 happened. During a preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, McMillan suffered a serious neck injury that included three fractured vertebrae and two herniated discs, limiting him to just four games during the 2025 season.  Let that sink in. Three fractured vertebrae. Two herniated discs. The kind of injury that makes you question everything.

But here is where Jalen McMillan’s character shines brightest. “I had to sit in my bed and wonder, ‘Is my neck going to heal correctly?’” McMillan told reporters. “So as soon as I was given the opportunity to play again, I knew that I could not look back and there was no time to be nervous and no time to be thinking about anything.” He fought back. He wore a constrictive neck brace for months. And when he finally got back on the field in Week 14, he recorded the first 100-yard game of his career, catching seven passes for 114 yards against the Miami Dolphins. 

Now heading into 2026 fully healthy, the buzz around McMillan is deafening. ESPN’s Benjamin Solak picked McMillan as his most likely breakout candidate for the Buccaneers in 2026, writing: “If McMillan can stay on the field, he is the best candidate for outside receiver snaps — and he has the large radius and spectacular catch ability that the Bucs need following the departure of Mike Evans.” Even his own teammates can’t stop raving about him. Quarterback Connor Bazelak said of McMillan: “Now that J-Mac is healthy, he’s unbelievable! He’s going to be awesome this year for us and I think he’s probably one of the most underrated receivers in the league.”

With Mike Evans gone to San Francisco, the door is wide open for McMillan to step into a starring role in new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson’s system. Todd Bowles has consistently praised McMillan’s mental toughness throughout his recovery — and with 11 days until training camp kicks off, Bucs Nation is about to see what a healthy, hungry, fully unleashed Jalen McMillan looks like. The wait is almost over.

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The Secret to the Bucs’ Offensive Success for 2026 (see article in comments below)

To Bucs Coaches: “Throw the Ball Early so You Can Run the Ball Late” - Buccaneer Blitz