Solving The Riddle Of Al-Quadin Muhammad
March 23rd, 2026
Steal or fluke?
The Bucs’ signing Detroit edge rusher Al-Quadin Muhammad is a curious puzzle that keeps Joe up at night.
Oh, it’s fantastic the Bucs found a double-digit sack guy. Who could be mad with that?
Then again, last year in a contract year, Muhammad damn near doubled his previous career-best season sack total, ending 2025 with 11 sacks.
Additionally, Muhammad, 30, did this without starting one game. Joe just cannot figure out how any team with a guy with double-digit sacks couldn’t find a way to get him in the starting lineup once.
Was Muhammad hitting on the wrong person’s daughter? (Yes, Joe understands Muhammad only had 6 sacks through the Lions’ first 12 games.)
Joe’s digging seems to reveal Muhammad couldn’t break into the starting lineup because maybe he wasn’t good against the run. Well, then someone tell Joe how a guy who can’t defend the run had nine tackles for loss last season — without starting one game.
Consider, Bucs edge rusher YaYa Diaby had 13 tackles for loss in 783 defensive snaps last season. Muhammad had 9 in 326 fewer snaps (457). Yet Muhammad couldn’t start a game?
Muhammad’s tackles for loss total was good enough to tie for 12th-most in the NFL last season. But no start?
Either Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht got an absolute steal or Muhammad’s 2025 season was a complete fluke.