The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a lot to prove in 2026.

After last season's 2-7 finish, which cost the Bucs the NFC South and a playoff spot, they must prove to the world that their collapse was a fluke and that they will make a triumphant return to the postseason in 2026.

Until they do, there will be plenty of doubters who believe the Bucs are a team that is impossible to trust and think last year's disappointing finish may carry over into the upcoming season.

One of those doubters is Frank Schwab from Yahoo! Sports. In Schwab's new offseason power rankings, he ranked Tampa 22nd in the NFL.

2025 Collapse Took Away Schwab's Faith In The Bucs

Schwab thinks the Bucs' 2025 collapse is one of the worst he has ever seen. He also questions whether that collapse was a reason behind Mike Evans leaving for the San Francisco 49ers in free agency.

"Tampa Bay's collapse was as bad as any in recent memory. The Buccaneers lost seven of their first eight games after the bye. The low point came on a Thursday night against the Atlanta Falcons when Tampa Bay blew a 14-point lead in the fourth quarter. Atlanta had a third-and-28, and then fourth-and-14 late in the game, and the Bucs couldn't get a stop to win the game. Tampa Bay beat Carolina in the regular-season finale, but due to a three-team tiebreaker, the Panthers won the division at 8-9.

"The flop was so bad that there was speculation Mike Evans, one of the greatest and most popular players in franchise history, left in free agency for the 49ers because of head coach Todd Bowles, who was retained despite Tampa Bay blowing one of the worst divisions in NFL history."

Even though he ranked the Bucs 22nd, Schwab admits that Tampa has plenty of blue-chip talent on the roster. However, he doesn't have faith that the Bucs will actually play up to their ceiling.

"If we could trust the Buccaneers to play to their talent level, they would rank higher on this list. They play in the NFC South, which in 2025 became one of five divisions in NFL history to send a losing team to the playoffs. They have the type of team that should win the division by multiple games and be a potential problem in the playoffs.

"But after how last season ended, it's hard to count on the Buccaneers taking advantage of the talent they have on hand."

Other Factors

In addition to not being confident that the Bucs will reach their potential, Schwab also names other factors behind his rankings.

He only gives Tampa a C+ grade for their offseason, citing the departures of Evans and cornerback Jamel Dean, as well as the retirement of Lavonte David, and believes the losses of such vital players will be difficult to overcome.

Schwab also wonders if running back Bucky Irving will return to being the explosive player he was as a rookie in 2024, and thinks Bowles' earlier report on Irving's health wasn't very optimistic.

There are several other reasons for his low ranking of the Bucs. There is a lot to unpack, and it is definitely worth the read.

Final Thoughts

Schwab believed in the Bucs last year and doesn't want to make that same mistake in 2026.

Despite all the criticisms, Schwab ends by saying he still expects Tampa to win its division in 2026 and believes they are capable of winning a playoff game or two "if they hit their peak."

That seems like a team that should be ranked higher than 22nd in any power rankings. 

However, the Bucs only have themselves to blame for any doubt that is surrounding them this season. They must show that they have moved on from last year's failures and will get back to their winning ways in 2026.

The Bucs are not short on talent. It is just a matter of having their talent show up consistently.

Neither the players nor the coaching staff performed at their best last season, leading to legitimate questions about how good they will be in 2026.

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