Veterans report to Tampa Bay Buccaneers training camp in exactly one week from today. So, it’s time to start the official countdown.

That includes discussing a wide variety of topics centered around the Buccaneers and the current landscape they’re navigating. This is a crucial training camp for Todd Bowles and many players. Getting back on track in 2026 starts here and they know it.

With that being said, let’s roll out the biggest questions surrounding the Buccaneers ahead of training camp.

1. What does Zac Robinson’s offense look like?

This is the biggest question surrounding the Buccaneers heading into 2026, period.

Robinson brings a new, but familiar, offense with some Liam Coen and some Sean McVay roots, an altered version of what Tampa Bay has run over the last couple of years. The Buccaneers need this offense to be good. They don’t need a unit akin to 2023 under Dave Canales, when the production was a roller coaster for most of the season. It has to be a top-12 group that can take pressure off the defense.

There will probably be a slow start, but the full expectation is to see this unit come together over the next few weeks. If not, the Buccaneers could be looking at trouble in 2026.

2. Is Baker Mayfield on track?

Mayfield’s 2025 regression was due in large part to injury, so he should get back to the MVP-level of play we saw over the first seven weeks of the season, right?

That should end up the case, but as noted above, he’s in somewhat-new offense and his primary target in Mike Evans is no longer on the team. How Mayfield adjusts early-on in the new environment will give us a good idea of what he can do in 2026.

3. Will Rueben Bain Jr.’s momentum carry into Buccaneers training camp?

Bain Jr. has looked the part during offseason workouts and minicamp, and the coaches have raved about him. Now it’s time for him to continue that when the pads come on. The Buccaneers really need him to have a good first year. It’s always an unknown with a rookie, but if Bain can carry the same momentum into training camp, he should have a solid 2026. He’s got to get it done in training camp first, though.

4. How does the WR hierarchy shake out?

Chris Godwin Jr. comes in as the assumed No. 1 receiver based on experience and his overall resume. That doesn’t mean he’s going to be the top target in this offense when things are all said and done, though.

Jalen McMillan and Emeka Egbuka can both make a case to become the top guy based on their role and skill set(s). Even Ted Hurst, who probably won’t become the No. 1 target unless there’s another heap of injuries, can still find a way to make plenty of plays as the team’s likely fourth receiver on the depth chart. Don’t count out Tez Johnson, though, as he really stepped up in Year 1.

Regardless, the Buccaneers need someone to emerge as the go-to option. Offenses don’t have to have a dominant No. 1 receiver per se, but it is nice to know exactly who to rely on for a big third-down conversion or a crucial touchdown.

5. Who is getting snaps next to Alex Anzalone?

The assumed player is Josiah Trotter, the second-round pick. He’ll likely get most of the snaps next to Anzalone, but we don’t know how far Trotter has come in learning the playbook. He could struggle early on – that’s not out of the realm of possibility.

If that happens, it’d leave the door open for a guy like SirVocea Dennis, even with his struggles. Dennis has plenty of experience in this defense, which could help him get off to a fast start and earn more snaps. There’s also Christian Rozeboom, a wily veteran who has scratched and clawed for everything in his NFL career.

Somebody has to step up, especially considering the Bucs keep two linebackers on the field in their nickel packages. We saw last year what it looked like whenever there was a deficit in the middle of the defense and that must be avoided in 2026.

6. What does the distribution between Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell look like?

Bowles said it’s going to be a 1A/1B situation with Irving likely being the 1A, but does that actually shake out? We’ve heard plenty of times in the past with Sean Tucker about how Bowles wanted to get him the ball more, but it didn’t really come to fruition unless there was an injury. These two could be a very effective tandem if they’re used properly and in conjunction with one another. It will be telling to see if it really is a 1A/1B split or if one guy ends up with more on his plate than the other.

7. Are the defensive line additions making an impact?

The Buccaneers added three new faces to the defensive line, and with Logan Hall out of the picture, A’Shawn Robinson, rookie DeMonte Capehart, and Nacho all bring decent skill sets to a unit that disappointed last year. These guys can’t come in and be ho-hum. They’ve really got to stand out, and we’ll see if they can make that happen when the pads come on in training camp.

8. How will the secondary hold up?

The Buccaneers have a plan for the secondary, but man, it has to hold up. These guys have to both stay healthy and produce. Otherwise, we’ll see more of what we saw last year.

It all starts with Zyon McCollum, who has to bounce back from a bad 2025 season. Benjamin Morrison has to somehow shake the injury bug that’s attached itself to him and Jacob Parrish needs to take a step forward. Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tykee Smith form one of the NFL’s best safety duos, but they need to show consistency and prove 2025 wasn’t a one-off.

The depth behind all those positions is scary. Keionte Scott is a good backup option, but it’s nothing but questions after him. Especially with Miles Killebrew and J.J. Roberts still in recovery.

Either way, both the corners and safeties have a lot to prove and they need to hit the ground running in camp.

9. Are the special teams looking competent?

This one will be tough to evaluate during camp, but if Riley Dixon isn’t getting good hang time and distance, and the coverage units aren’t holding up, you’ll be able to see it. The same goes with Chase McLaughlin and made/missed field goals.

The Buccaneers really need the special teams to improve under Danny Smith. The bar is low, so even the slightest improvement counts, but that’s also not good enough. Tampa Bay needs the special teams to become a mid-tier group at minimum in 2026.

10. Can Jalon Daniels work his way up the depth chart?

Daniels has completely caught the Buccaneers coaching staff’s attention. Jake Browning is nowhere near a Teddy Bridgewater-type backup, and his struggles last year were evident. As much as the staff likes Connor Bazelak’s progress, he’s no guarantee to win the backup job behind Mayfield.

It’ll be intriguing to see how the snaps are divvied up behind Mayfield. Daniels is a very exciting young player with all the confidence in the world, and if he has a strong training camp, there’s definitely a shot he could earn the No. 2 job. That would be pretty remarkable heading into 2026.