The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were looking to win the NFC South in a big way in 2026, but nine games into the season, they've won just three games.

The Bucs are 3-6, and although they are technically tied for the NFC South lead, they've had some major struggles over the course of the year. They were looking to count on a number of players to help them win this offseason, and some of those players haven't been delivering.

Here are some of Tampa Bay's most disappointing players this season so far:

WR Emeka Egbuka

The Buccaneers were searching for a leading wide receiver after the departure of Mike Evans, and Emeka Egbuka, who the Bucs drafted in the first round a year ago, was primed to take that spot. Halfway through the year, the Bucs are still looking.

Egbuka has been hurt for a few games this year, but even then, he's netted just 31 receptions for 278 yards. The passing game as a whole is brutal at the moment, but he doesn't seem to have the ability to beat his man from rep to rep and make things happen on his own accord.

Egbuka started off strong last year, but now, he's struggled to stand out. For a first-round pick, that's tough.

EDGE Rueben Bain Jr.

Another first-round pick, Rueben Bain Jr. will have plenty of time to course-correct. But the Bucs thought they got a steal with Bain in the draft, and so far, that has been far from the truth.

Bain only has two solo tackles across the entire year. He has one sack and one forced fumble, and he has just a 9.9% pressure rate on his pass-rushing snaps, per SumerSports.

Bain has been dropped in coverage a lot and he's still getting used to the NFL level. But the Buccaneers thought they drafted a game-wrecker, and Bain has had very little impact over the first nine games of the year.

QB Baker Mayfield

Perhaps the most concerning name on this list, Mayfield signed a three-year extension worth $55 million a year before the season started. The move was controversial at the time, and Mayfield hasn't done much to silence his doubters over the first frame of the season.

Mayfield did miss three games with a dislocated thumb injury, but outside of those games, he has played very poorly. He's thrown just three touchdowns to four interceptions (one a pick-six) and has turned the ball over seven total times.

Mayfield's pressure-to-sack ratio is just under 32%, and he has a dropback EPA/play of −0.297 so far this season — dead last among qualifying quarterbacks, per SumerSports. The entire passing offense has been awful in Tampa Bay, and while offensive coordinator Zac Robinson and the wideouts have a part in that, Mayfield is also a fairly big one.

S Antoine Winfield Jr.

Winfield Jr. has been hurt a lot this season, and he might miss some time again with an ankle injury after leaving the game against the Chicago Bears. Even when he's been in, though, he hasn't lived up to his four-year, $81 million deal.

Winfield has 22 solo tackles, one forced fumble and one pass defended in six games played. His replacement while injured, Ifeatu Melifonwu, has played well in his stead, and Winfield hasn't done much to stand out from him, even when healthy.

The Bucs will look for him to make a bigger impact going forward in the back half of the season.

P Riley Dixon

The Bucs re-signed Riley Dixon this offseason, knowing that he was one of the worst punters across the league last year. So far, that gamble isn't exactly paying off.

Dixon is 31st in the NFL in yards per punt (44.4) and he's dead last in the NFL in net yards per punt (38.4). The Bucs have an excellent defense, but Dixon is doing them no favors with his lack of distance, and his poor punting has hurt the team a few times this year when it came to flipping the field.

The Bucs appear to be rolling with Dixon for the rest of the year, and if Tampa Bay wants to win games, Dixon will have to be much better.