The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, like the rest of the NFL, are putting in the work as Week 1 draws closer and closer. The Bucs have their second preseason game of the season next week, and as it stands, they still don't have defensive tackle Vita Vea back with the team.
The Buccaneers sat their starters, including Rueben Bain Jr., against the Jets in Week 1 of the preseason. And while that’s not unusual in the grand scheme of things, but it is a change of pace for Todd Bowles.
In an interview on The Pat McAfee Show, ESPN’s Adam Schefter says it seems to him that the tenor has shifted between the Buccaneers and DT Vita Vea. “It feels like we’ve gone from a tone of pessimism, to one where there’s potential optimism,” Schefter said.
TAMPA, FL — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers went through their 14th day of camp on Wednesday. They’ll have one more day of camp on Thursday before taking Friday off and facing off against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday.
Be it stars returning from late-season injuries to starter-level players who missed most or all of last season, the NFL features a host of rehab odysseys to follow as training camps near.
Tom Brady joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020 and helped them win the Super Bowl that same year. It was a huge moment for the team because the Bucs had waited 18 years for another Super Bowl victory.
Buccaneers wide receivers Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan were both described as “day-to-day, week-to-week,” by head coach Todd Bowles on Tuesday, per ESPN’s Jenna Laine.
With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers preparing for Week 1 of the 2026 season, there are still some loose ends to clear up, especially dealing with the contract situation for defensive tackle Vita Vea.
Update: According to Jeremy Fowler, the Bills signed veteran DT Greg Gaines following his workout on Tuesday. Per the wire, the Bills hosted veteran DT Greg Gaines, formerly of the Buccaneers, for a tryout on Tuesday.
Bucs training camp continued Tuesday morning at the AdventHealth Training Center, as did preparations for Saturday’s preseason game at Raymond James Stadium against the Chiefs.
The contract situation involving Mayfield continues to be the biggest story hovering over the Buccaneers ahead of the club's regular-season opener at the Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 13.