Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ $17 million investment has already snatched multiple key roles before the 2026 season even begins
The Buccaneers signed Alex Anzalone with the intention that he’d take over one of the starting linebacker jobs and he’s done that, plus more, before the season even begins.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost legendary linebacker Lavonte David to retirement this offseason and while no one can replace him on a 1:1 level, free agent addition Alex Anzalone has stepped up in a major way.
For starters, Alex Anzalone was named one of the Buccaneers’ team captains by his peers on Monday, but that shouldn’t come as much of a surprise considering his pedigree coming in plus the performances he’s put together in practice and the limited time he played in the preseason.
“Anzalone came in and he kind of etched his name in stone that way, but there was a lot of guys that got votes,” Bowles told reporters. “I mean, it was it was probably closer than has been in years.”
It’s rather impressive for a newcomer to earn that kind of accolade, even if it’s well-deserved on Anzalone’s end. However, it doesn’t stop there when it comes to both the impact he’s had and the impact he will have on the upcoming 2026 season.
Alex Anzalone career stats
The veteran linebacker is looking to make a splash with the Buccaneers after signing a $17 million deal in the offseason and so far, he’s doing just that.
- Total tackles: 613
- Sacks: 13.0
- Interceptions: 4
- Tackles for loss: 34
- QB hits: 40
- Forced fumbles: 3
- Games played: 111
“Well, he wanted the green dot, and he got that,” said Bowles. “And you know, having a green dot requires you to talk and communicate with everybody, so he’s done a great job communicating, especially with the safeties. Him and (Antoine) Winfield and Tykee (Smith) are on the same page, getting along with the defense in front, lining everybody up, and then just making plays with his ability.
“Obviously, everybody has a lot of respect for him, and he kind of just played his game and he worked his way into it.”
Wearing the green dot is a major responsibility and it signals Anzalone will be on the field for every single snap outside of injury or in the rare case of a breather. David only played less than 96% of defensive snaps once in his illustrious 14-year career and that occurred all the way back in 2014, when he still managed to play 93% of defensive snaps after missing two games.
Personnel-wise, it makes complete sense for Anzalone to wear the green dot. He can do it all when it comes to coverage, stopping the run, and blitzing. Whomever wears the green dot has to be on the field as much as possible because they’re responsible for communicating the play calls and getting everyone lined up.
The fact Anzalone was able to come in and learn the defense fast enough to garner this kind of responsibility speaks to how much work he’s put in and it really makes his two-year, $17 million deal seem like a bargain, right now. Obviously, football needs to be played before we can officially apply that label, but there’s not doubt things are trending in that direction.
