Buccanneers restricting reporters from tunnels, presumably to prevent filming player reactions

New, seemingly arbitrary reporter restrictions always seem to come from an organization in the midst of losing.

We recently saw it with the Maryland football program, which banned follow-up questions for embattled head coach Mike Locksley. Now we’re seeing it with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have started the NFL season 0-3.

According to ESPN’s Jenna Laine, the Bucs have barred reporters from the tunnels whenever players and coaches exit the field.

“Bucs reporters are no longer able to stand near the tunnel as players and coaches are exiting the field, and instead are being directed to a room with a curtain in postgame,” Laine wrote on X Sunday. “We used to wait near the tunnel until cleared to go back to the locker room.

“Note: Reporters leaguewide aren’t able to ask questions in/near the tunnel (official broadcast partners can on-field). Reporters have to go to the locker room. That’s not new. But the purpose in standing near the tunnel postgame is to see/capture reactions leaving the field.”

Tampa Bay Times Bucs beat writer Rick Stroud offered further perspective, saying the new rule responds to an incident from last season and that he believes it was put in place specifically to prevent filming any player reactions after a loss.

“The Mike Evans rule. Third and 28. Somebody in the organization was embarrassed,” wrote Stroud on X. “First was told it was for safety reasons. After Week 1 when the curtain was raised in the tunnel, they moved us to a lounge and placed the curtain against the window facing the tunnel. It’s to prevent any filming of player reaction following a loss IMO. And no other NFL team does this that I’m aware of.”

The incident Stroud mentioned came in December of last season when then-Tampa Bay receiver Mike Evans was filmed frustratingly yelling “Third and 28” after a 29-28 loss to the Atlanta Falcons that was part of a losing streak that sent their season into freefall. Atlanta faced third-and-28 on their final drive, but Kirk Cousins kept the drive alive and helped set up a walk-off field goal to give the Falcons the comeback win.

A frustrated Mike Evans after the Bucs lose 29-28 to the Falcons.

Evans finished with six catches for 132 yards. pic.twitter.com/p8XVQ5zmQs

— Kyle Burger (@kyle_burger) December 12, 2025

Amid pushback from those who felt it was fair for an NFL team to restrict reporters from the tunnel, Laine said the access gives them an opportunity to document the kind of real, raw emotion their readers and audiences want.