Alex Anzalone Quickly Emerging as Buccaneers’ New Defensive Leader

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are asking Alex Anzalone to do much more than make plays at linebacker in 2026.

Anzalone has quickly emerged as one of the central voices on Tampa Bay’s defense. His teammates made that clear Monday when they voted him one of the team’s six captains.

A New Voice in the Middle

Anzalone’s selection carries extra weight because he is the only one of Tampa Bay’s six captains who was not with the team last season. He is also stepping into a defense that lost its longtime leader in Lavonte David.

David retired after 14 seasons with the Buccaneers and had been a team captain for 12 of those seasons. His departure leaves a massive leadership gap in the middle of the defense, but Tampa Bay appears comfortable handing Anzalone some of that responsibility.

Anzalone has embraced the opportunity from the moment he arrived. His teammates have responded by giving him a captaincy before he has even played a regular-season game for the Buccaneers.

Bowles Trusts Anzalone With the Green Dot

Anzalone will also handle the green-dot duties for Tampa Bay this season. That means he will receive defensive calls through the radio speaker in his helmet and become the primary communicator between the coaching staff and his teammates.

That role can become chaotic quickly, particularly when an offense shifts formations or changes its look before the snap. Anzalone must make sure everyone is aligned correctly while communicating adjustments and getting the defense prepared for what is coming.

Head Coach Todd Bowles has already been impressed by how naturally Anzalone has taken on that responsibility.

“He wanted the green dot and he got that and having the green dot requires you to talk and communicate with everybody, so he has done a great job of communicating, especially with the safeties with [Antoine] Winfield and Tykee [Smith] are on the same page and getting with the defensive front and lining everybody up and then him just making plays with his ability,” said Bowles. “Everybody has a lot of respect for him and he kind of just played his game and worked his way into it.”

Anzalone Is Bringing an Edge

The communication responsibilities would mean little if Anzalone could not back them up between the lines. So far, he has shown plenty of reasons for Tampa Bay to believe he can.

Anzalone has displayed the physicality expected from an inside linebacker while showing he can hold his own in coverage. His ability to stay with running backs and tight ends down the seam gives Tampa Bay flexibility in the middle of the field.

He has also shown an ability to disrupt routes from zone coverage. Add in his fiery temperament, and the Buccaneers have a linebacker capable of setting the tone in several different ways.

Tampa Bay Needed Someone to Step Up

There was always going to be a transition period following David’s retirement. Tampa Bay did not need to find another player who could simply duplicate everything David provided, though.

The Buccaneers needed someone willing to take ownership of the defense and make sure the unit stays connected. Anzalone has already earned the green dot, a captaincy and the respect of his teammates.

Now, he gets the chance to prove he can become the new voice in the middle of Tampa Bay’s defense.