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Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end Calijah Kancey.

It’s hard to imagine a more patient franchise than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Just look at how they’ve treated 2023 1st round pick Calijah Kancey.

After 3 injury-riddled seasons, the Buccaneers have stood fast with Kancey, going so far as to pick up the $14.5 million 5th-year option on his rookie contract on May 1.

That’s despite Kancey, 6-foot-1 and 281 pounds, rarely living up to his lofty potential and missing multiple games in each of his 1st 3 seasons due to injuries — including 14 games in 2025 with a torn pectoral muscle.

Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport believes the Buccaneers might finally run out of patience in 2026, predicting free-agent defensive end A’Shawn Robinson will take Kancey’s spot in the starting lineup.

In Davenport’s projected starting lineup for the Buccaneers, Robinson displaces Kancey to play alongside Pro Bowl nose tackle Vita Vea, 2-time team sacks leader YaYa Diaby, and 2026 1st-round pick (No. 15 overall) Rueben Bain Jr. in Tampa Bay’s new defensive front.

The Buccaneers signed the 6-foot-3, 320-pound Robinson to a 1-year, $10 million free-agent contract on March 11.

Robinson Could Be ‘Tone Setter’ on Defense

Despite head coach Todd Bowles hanging his hat on defense throughout his career, the Buccaneers’ defense has been consistently underwhelming under his guidance.

That could all change in 2026 with the addition of a group of grizzled veterans, along with Bain, who was arguably the best pound-for-pound defensive player in the draft but dropped to the Buccaneers at No. 15 overall.

“The Bucs get really intentional in bringing in tone setters on defense on a one-year deal,” ESPN’s Jenna Laine wrote. “Robinson does that, and he’s really physical at the point of attack.”

Robinson is 1 of 3 predicted new defensive starters for the Buccaneers, along with Bain and inside linebacker Alex Anzalone, who signed a 2-year, $17 million free-agent contract.

Super Bowl Champion Still Making Big Money

For a 31-year-old journeyman NFL defensive lineman, Robinson is still cashing massive checks.

Drafted by the Detroit Lions in the 2nd round (No. 46 overall) out of Alabama in the 2016 NFL draft after winning a national championship and earning All-American honors in 2015, Robinson spent the 1st 4 years of his career in Detroit.

Robinson signed a 2-year, $17 million free-agent contract with the Los Angeles Rams in March 2020 and was part of their Super Bowl-winning team in 2021. Robinson played for the New York Giants on a 1-year, $5 million contract in 2023 and signed a 3-year, $22.5 million contract with the Carolina Panthers before the 2024 season. He was released after 2 years in a salary cap move before signing with the Buccaneers.

In 2 seasons with the Panthers, Robinson racked up 145 tackles, 8.0 sacks, 11 TFL, 16 QB hits, and 4 pass deflections, including a career-high 5.5 sacks in 2024.

Following the 2026 season, Robinson will have approximately $55.2 million in career earnings.

Kancey’s Injuries Only Continue to Pile Up

Kancey was Tampa Bay’s 1st round pick (No. 19 overall) in the 2023 NFL draft but has struggled with injuries over his 1st 3 seasons, missing 23 out of a possible 51 regular-season games in that time.

That failure was underlined in 2025 when he predicted he would lead the NFL in sacks, but ended up missing 14 regular-season games and didn’t record a single sack in the 3 games he actually played in.