Chicago Bears vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Week 9 Players to Watch

Two straight prime-time victories against the two Super Bowl representatives from a year ago lead us to one last prime-time matchup before Chicago’s BYE in Week 10. This time around, Chicago plays a feisty Buccaneers squad who just shut out a divisional rival last week without passing for a single yard. Clearly, the run game in Tampa is rolling, but don’t overlook the defense. Let’s get to the players for the Bucs that have my attention, starting with that defense.

Defense: Josiah Trotter, – LB

The son of former Philadelphia Eagles great Jeremiah Trotter and brother of current Eagles LB Jeremiah Trotter Jr., Jeremiah is making a name for himself down in Tampa. After being drafted in the 2nd round of the 2026 NFL draft out of Missouri, Trotter wasted zero time doing just that as a pro. Against the Bengals in Week 1, the rookie notched 11 tackles with 1 sack and 1 stuff, along with 1 INT that he returned for a TD and another pass deflection.

Despite having missed a game, he is currently leading all Tampa defenders in tackles by 25! At 6’2″, 237lbs, Josiah isn’t quite as stout as his dad, but he is a beast in his own right having done 27 reps of 225lb at the NFL combine and he could be the most athletically gifted of the whole crew. Caleb and Co. will have to know where is so they don’t get blasted like Michael Penix Jr. did in the picture above. If Trotter can make his presence felt in the run and passing games, watch for Tampa to keep this one close. If Chicago’s offensive line can keep Caleb and the RBs clean, Tampa will need to pray that some more turnover treasure is looted to give them a chance.

Offense: Tez Johnson, – WR

After the Jeffery Simmons trade, it would appear that Cornerback is Chicago’s last remaining weakness. Particularly against the deep ball. A few weeks ago I highlighted Falcons receiver Jahan Dotson in this piece for similar reasons and Dotson went on to post 87 yards on three catches. Three. That is a 29 yard average per catch. Tez Johnson is the deep threat for Tampa and averages 19.8 yards per catch himself. With Emeka Egbuka hobbled and Chris Godwin aging, Tez has stepped into a larger role in the offense and has played in all 8 games so far this season – though he has only been targeted 15 times.

If Tampa once again is committed to run the football behind one of the most underrated offensive lines in the entire league, watch for the play-action to . If Tampa can move the chains on the backs of RBs Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell, I expect for veteran signal caller Baker Mayfield to take some shots downfield this week. If he can connect, Tampa’s offense has a chance to keep this one close and even secure the upset. If not, Chi-town will enter the BYE week with an elite 7-2 record.

What about you? Which players will you be focused on when Tampa visits Soldier Field?!