The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have both the pleasure and misfortune of playing in the wide-open NFC South. While any team could realistically win the division, as Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers did last season following a second-half surge, every team can legitimately finish in last place as well.
The Buccaneers have built a much better defense that is capable of corraling Young. While he and the Panthers have some juice after last season, Carolina could just as easily crash to the bottom of the standings if the No. 1 overall pick regresses again. In such a pivotal campaign, Tampa could tip the scales against him.
NFL.com's list of players entering a make-or-break season in 2026 included Young, as not everyone remains convinced his brief rise to the top of NFC South is a permanent thing. Tampa Bay might be the perfect team to remind the rest of the division of Young's shortcomings.
Buccaneers could make Bryce Young fail in "make-or-break" season
Young managed to put together the best season of his pro career, but he didn't blow anyone's doors off. Young's 23 touchdowns and 11 interceptions are certainly passable, but the situation around him in Carolina managed to all play way above their potential and crest at the right time. Will he be so fortunate in 2026?
The Rico Dowdle-led running game is now going to be weaker after Dowdle joined the Steelers and the team failed to address the position in free agency. The offensive line lost Ikem Ekwonu for most, if not all, of the season. The Devin Lloyd-led defense may be what helps this team grind out wins, not Young.
The Bucs have the firepower on offense to give Carolina some fits if they are all clicking at the right time, but their defense left a lot to be desired, to say the least. That has been addressed in the NFL Draft and free agency by using premium picks on Rueben Bain Jr. and Josiah Trotter while adding Alex Anzalone and Al-Quadin Muhammad in free agency.
Young regressing would put Carolina in a very difficult predicament, and with his physical limitations always going to be present, the Bucs certainly won't head into 2026 quaking in their boots. If Young ends up defying those pessimistic predictions, 2026 could be a very long year for a coaching staff that could easily be on the way out with another down season.
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