The Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered a brutal loss in the first week of the 2026 NFL regular season, falling 33-27 to the Cincinnati Bengals after Baker Mayfield turnovers galore, poor coaching from Todd Bowles, and a couple of more questions left lingering on both sides of the ball.
Here are the players with stocks that are trending up and down after a brutal Week 1.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers stock watch after Week 1 loss against Cincinnati Bengals
Down: QB Baker Mayfield
Honestly, Baker Mayfield doubters are having too much of a field day after his display against Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals, but Baker 100 percent deserved to be on the losing side of the proceedings. He lacked ball security again and played right into the Bengals hands with his fumbles, while he failed to make any big plays to mitigate his mistakes. Now on a big contract, Mayfield has to step up more for the Bucs.
Down: NT Vita Vea
Likewise, Vita Vea did nothing to make good on his new contract on the other side of the ball. Vea was mauled by the Bengals offensive line, and he did not make life easier for rookie Rueben Bain Jr. or the other defensive linemen and pass rushers around him. He was at least as disappointing as Mayfield.
Up: WR Emeka Egbuka
One of the only players to actually show up positively for the Buccaneers on offense, especially for Baker Mayfield in the passing game, Emeka Egbuka caught five passes for 63 yards to lead his team in receiving. The Bucs will hope the Ohio State grad can build on this.
Down: ILB Alex Anzalone
Alex Anzalone may have been the worst player on the Buccaneers defense with all of his blown coverages, missed tackles, and mental errors. The Bucs signed the veteran linebacker from the Detroit Lions to help shore up the mistake prone defense and make them more solid, but, if anything, he only made them look worse in Week 1.
Down: TE Cade Otton
Cade Otton was a drop machine for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers passing attack in Cincinnati, while the Bengals star tight end Mike Gesicki had 78 receiving yards and a touchdownd. If Otton doesn't improve fast, he could go down as one of the worst offseason moves in the NFL.
Up: ILB Josiah Trotter
Meanwhile, Josiah Trotter could go down as one of the best offseason moves, as the second round rookie out of Missouri led the Bucs with 11 tackles and was the only player with an interception or a sack - and he had both. Rueben Bain Jr. was quiet off the edge, but Trotter was boisterous in the middle.
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