Getty
Tampa Bay Buccaneers center Graham Barton.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are suffering through a miserable late-season run that includes losing 6 of their last 7 games.
For former first round pick and starting center Graham Barton, he can now add losing money to losing games following a fine levied against him by the NFL’s GameDay Accountability committee following Tampa Bay’s Week 16 loss to the Carolina Panthers.
“Bucs center Graham Barton was fined $17,389 for unnecessary roughness on a blindside block in last week’s loss to the Panthers,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote on his official X account.
Barton, the N0. 26 overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, has started 31 of a possible 32 regular season games the last 2 seasons. It’s the first NFL fine for Barton, who signed a 4-year, $14 million rookie contract.
The Buccaneers need to win on the road against the Miami Dolphins in Week 17 and at home against the Panthers in Week 18 to win the NFC South Division and make the NFC Playoffs for a sixth consecutive season.
Barton One of NFL’s Worst Centers
There’s a good argument to be made that the Buccaneers should try Barton at another position — either of the guard spots — in 2026.
Barton has struggled in his second season after starting 2 games at left offensive tackle in place of injured NFL All-Pro Tristan Wirfs early in the season then moving back to center for 13 games.
According to Pro Football Focus, Barton has been one of the NFL’s worst centers in 2025 with a 58.0 overall grade, putting him 32nd among 40 eligible players at his position. In 16 starts in 2024, Barton’s overall grade of 55.8 from PFF put him 45th out of 64 eligible NFL centers. He also led all NFL centers with a whopping 13 penalties.
According to PFF, Barton was the next-to-lowest graded of the Buccaneers at 52.3 overall in a Week 14 home loss to the New Orleans Saints — the first of 3 consecutive losses to NFC South foes.
“It’s time to have a very serious conversation about Graham Barton,” Bucs Gameday’s Matthew Hewitt wrote on X.
“Not a very good center, but I think he could be an elite guard,” Shake ‘N Bake Bucs wrote on X.
“I been saying for awhile he’s shown enough to know he’s not a center.” Bucs Fan Phantom Vash 808 wrote on X. “Bucs either need to get a real center in the offseason or swap position between Barton and (Ben) Bredeson.”
Changes on Way for Buccaneers in Offseason
Barring a highly unlikely postseason run, massive changes could be on the way for the Buccaneers in the offseason — and not just Barton possibly moving from center to guard.
There’s a good chance head coach Todd Bowles could be out the door after 4 seasons in which the Buccaneers seem to barely keep their heads above water and following an expletive-laden, Chernobyl-esque meltdown in his postgame press conference following a Week 15 loss to the Atlanta Falcons.
After Bowles, there could also be the chance the Buccaneers part ways with legendary wide receiver Mike Evans, who has struggled with injuries the last 2 seasons and is in the final year of a 2-year, $52 million contract.
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
More Heavy on Buccaneers
Loading more stories