Buccaneers GM Confident in Leadership of Mayfield, Veterans
Despite losing legends, Buccaneers GM Jason Licht champions Baker Mayfield and a core of proven veterans, shaping the team's next winning era.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in the process as a team of replacing two of their best players ever, and general manager Jason Licht understands the challenges ahead. When Mike Evans signed a three-year, $60 million deal with the San Francisco 49ers last month, the Bucs lost their all-time leading receiver. When Lavonte David announced his retirement two weeks later, the Bucs lost their most productive linebacker outside of Hall of Famer Derrick Brooks.
The 2026 season will be Tampa’s first without Evans since 2014 and first without David since 2011. But Licht is confident Tampa has the leaders it needs to move forward. Licht told a team reporter with the Bucs' official website Wednesday that he feels good about the players Tampa Bay has coming back, with quarterback Baker Mayfield leading the way.
“We have got Tykee (Smith), Calijah (Kancey), the entire offensive line, Bucky (Irving),” Licht said. There’s another player Licht named-checked as essential to the team going forward: Vita Vea. Vea is entering his ninth season with Tampa Bay, and Lichit said the 6-foot-4, 347-pound defensive tackle is a leader "in his own way.
" Licht then mentioned three of Tampa’s offseason signings, one for each phase of the game: linebacker Alex Anzalone, running back Kenneth Gainwell and defensive back/special teams All-Pro Miles Killebrew. Anzalone came over after five seasons with the Detroit Lions. Gainwell signed with the Bucs after a team-MVP campaign with the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Killebrew, also from the Steelers, is re-uniting with Danny Smith, who was Pittsburgh’s special teams coordinator for 13 seasons before coming over to Tampa for the same position.