There wasn’t much to cheer about when it came to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this season.
After starting 6-2, the Bucs fell off a cliff, ultimately losing the NFC South to the Carolina Panthers and missing the playoffs.
The focus since the end of the regular season has been on filling out the coaching staff, but there was still some action on the field to be had with the NFL Pro Bowl.
The Buccaneers were represented in the Pro Bowl by left tackle Tristan Wirfs and safety Antoine Winfield Jr., with quarterback Baker Mayfield and cornerback Jamel Dean being named as alternates. Winfield Jr. saw the most action during this year’s Pro Bowl and even came away with an interception off of Joe Burrow, which got Green Bay Packers’ linebacker Micah Parsons excited.
Tweeze Shines at Pro Bowl
Dec 11, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (31) Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
An INT off of Joe Burrow and what a return by Antoine Winfield Jr.‼️ #ProBowlGames
🎥: @Buccaneers
— SleeperBucs (@SleeperTBBUCS) February 4, 2026
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The Pro Bowl has lost its luster over the years despite a format change, but it still appears that the players are enjoying their time participating in the annual event that recognizes some of the best players in the NFL.
Winfield Jr. might not have had the season he wanted with the Bucs, but his interception in the Pro Bowl was enough to earn him the Defensive MVP award at the 2026 Pro Bowl Games.
Jerry Rice crowns Antoine Winfield Jr. as the Defensive MVP of the 2026 Pro Bowl Games 🏆👏 pic.twitter.com/Fdond1N9zk
— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) February 4, 2026
Winfield Jr. said he had a great time and gave a shoutout to his NFC teammates for helping pull out the victory. The talented defender is the first safety to ever win this award for the Buccaneers franchise.
It wasn’t that long ago that AWJ was paid as the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history, but since then, he has struggled to live up to that billing. While still productive, Winfield Jr. has struggled to stay healthy at times and hasn’t been the turnover machine that he has shown to be in the past, so he will be looking to turn things around in 2026, and hopefully, this performance in the Pro Bowl will catapult him back to elite-level play on the backend.
With the Pro Bowl now over and the Super Bowl less than a week away, Winfield Jr. and the Buccaneers can now turn their attention to improving this offseason to reclaim their seat at the throne of the NFC South.
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