Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Yaya Diaby warms up before a game against the New York Jets Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Buccaneers starter shocks NFL by leading league in key stat

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 9:00 AM ET

Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker YaYa Diaby is off to a fantastic start in the 2025 season.

Through three games, Diaby leads the league in quarterback pressures. Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles explained why Diaby is experiencing a lot of success at the start of the season.

"He'll play hard. The pressures are the big thing. Sacks are hard, depending on how long the quarterback holds the football. You can't put a price on sacks when you're getting a lot of pressure. Sometimes you get there, sometimes you don't, and you still have a heck of a rush. That's just part of it. He's just got to keep continuing to hone his craft and get better, and the sacks will come," Bowles said of Diaby.

Diaby becoming leader for Bucs

Without Diaby, there's a chance the Bucs may not have won any of their first three games, so he should be celebrated and appreciated for his efforts thus far this season.

Diaby is excited to see where the defense is as a whole over the course of the first few games.

"Yeah, we are looking really good, but it is always the ending, man. I feel like we can better ourselves at the ending point to not put ourselves in a position to have to fight for the last two minutes -- last 50 seconds. Overall, we are on the right path, and we are doing things the right way. We are coming along as a brotherhood, so it feels good," Diaby said.

Diaby and the Bucs defense could be performing better, so they have to fix some things before their big Week 4 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles.

If the Bucs defense can step up again, they could have an opportunity at a 4-0 start, making them the ones to watch in the NFC.