BuccaneersFan.com • Player Spotlight • Tampa Bay No. 97
Current official roster portrait: Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Outside linebacker • Ninth NFL season
An experienced pass rusher joins the Krewe
Al-Quadin Muhammad
- Born
- March 28, 1995 • Age 31
- Hometown
- Irvington, New Jersey
- Listed size
- 6 feet 3 inches • 250 pounds
- High school
- Don Bosco Preparatory High School • Ramsey, New Jersey
- College
- University of Miami • Playing seasons: 2013 and 2015
- NFL Draft
- 2017 • Round 6 • Pick 196 • New Orleans
- Joined Tampa Bay
- March 12, 2026
- Jersey
- No. 97
- Current status
- Active roster • As of November 3, 2026
Sources: official Buccaneers profile, 2026 team media guide, Miami recruiting biography and current roster.
Sources: the football journey, the Dallas performance, NFL career records and Miami records. NFL statistics are through November 1, 2026.
For the Krewe, Al-Quadin Muhammad brings a veteran pass rusher’s experience and a recent reminder that a breakthrough can arrive well into an NFL career. Tampa Bay signed him on March 12, 2026, following his 11-sack season in Detroit. The move also reunited him with former Lions teammate Alex Anzalone as the Buccaneers added experience to their defense. The Buccaneers’ signing announcement.
New Jersey roots • Miami • The road to Tampa Bay
The long route to the Krewe
New Jersey to the Hurricanes Don Bosco and the University of Miami.
Miami’s signing-day biography listed Irvington, New Jersey, as Muhammad’s hometown. At Don Bosco Prep, he developed under coach Greg Toal and helped his team reach the state semifinals with more than 10 sacks in his senior season. The university’s recruiting biography.
His two playing seasons at Miami came in 2013 and 2015. He later received an invitation to the 2017 NFL Scouting Combine, joining eight other former Hurricanes at the event. Miami’s combine announcement.
An NFL opportunity New Orleans, Indianapolis and Chicago.
New Orleans selected Muhammad in the sixth round, 196th overall, in 2017. Indianapolis claimed him in September 2018, beginning a four-season stretch with the Colts. He eventually started every regular-season game in 2021 and recorded six sacks. Chicago signed him in March 2022, adding another chapter to his professional journey. The official NFL career and transaction record.
Working back into the rotation Detroit, 2024–2025.
After returning to Indianapolis’s practice squad in 2023 and spending part of the 2024 preseason with Dallas, Muhammad joined Detroit’s practice squad on October 7, 2024. He earned regular-season work with the Lions and returned for 2025. That season became his most productive as a pass rusher, setting up the next opportunity in Tampa Bay. His team-by-team transaction history.
Recognition along the way
National attention early 2013 U.S. Army All-American.
Before college, Muhammad earned a place in the U.S. Army All-American game. He recorded 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in that showcase, an early demonstration of the disruption he could create. Miami’s signing-day record.
A double-digit breakthrough Eleven sacks in 2025.
His Detroit season set career highs with 11 sacks, nine tackles for loss and 20 quarterback hits. It included multi-sack performances against Baltimore, Dallas and Minnesota, giving Tampa Bay a recent body of work to evaluate when it pursued him in free agency. The Buccaneers’ account of his arrival.
December 4, 2025 • Dallas at Detroit
Three sacks on a night Detroit needed him
A career-best single-game sack total
3.0
SACKS • AGAINST THE DALLAS COWBOYS
Detroit 44 • Dallas 30
NFC Defensive Player of the Week.
On December 4, 2025, Muhammad helped Detroit answer an urgent need for pressure. The Lions had collected four sacks over their previous four games; against Dallas, they produced five in one night. Muhammad accounted for three sacks of Dak Prescott, with Jack Campbell and Alim McNeill adding one apiece. Detroit finished with a 44–30 victory at home. The Lions’ official game recap.
The performance earned him NFC Defensive Player of the Week honors for Week 14. His contribution included three tackles for loss and four quarterback hits. It was a standout night within an 11-sack season in which he played 41 percent of Detroit’s defensive snaps, making his opportunities count throughout the rotation. Detroit’s season review.
Tampa Bay • 2026
Building his Buccaneers career
In Tampa Bay’s defense, Muhammad can attack from different spots along the front. During training camp in August 2026, he described the appeal of taking pass-rush snaps both inside and outside. That flexibility gives the Buccaneers another way to change a protection’s assignments and create favorable matchups. His training-camp assessment.
That inside assignment mattered at Carolina in Week 7. Muhammad beat a guard and strip-sacked Bryce Young; Calijah Kancey recovered the ball and returned it 32 yards for a touchdown. The play helped Tampa Bay establish a 17–0 lead in its eventual 43–13 win. Muhammad supplied the sack and forced fumble, while Kancey completed the scoring play. The Buccaneers’ play breakdown.
Through November 1, 2026, Muhammad had appeared in all eight Buccaneers games, with two starts. His record included six defensive tackles, two sacks, one pass defended and one forced fumble. The weekly record below documents each appearance, including games without a credited counting statistic.
The person behind No. 97
Roots, family and life beyond football
On draft day in 2017, Muhammad spoke about the people who helped him stay focused. He credited former Miami coaches with continuing to encourage him and described fatherhood as a major source of motivation. His son, Al-Quadin Muhammad Jr., depended on him and looked up to him. Muhammad connected his football ambitions with his responsibilities as a father and his wish to help others. His first Saints media interview.
Support from his son A familiar voice in his corner.
In a December 2024 appearance on Detroit’s Twentyman in the Huddle podcast, Muhammad discussed his son’s enthusiastic support. The conversation paired that personal connection with his role on a defense asking players to step forward when teammates were injured. The Lions’ interview summary.
Faith and perspective Looking back at draft day.
Muhammad recalled praying and staying close to family while waiting for his NFL opportunity. He described laughing with relatives over memories of his youth football days just before New Orleans called, sharing the relief and excitement of finally hearing from his new team. His account of the 2017 draft.
Passing experience along A veteran voice in Tampa Bay.
Outside linebackers coach Larry Foote has praised Muhammad’s willingness to advise younger teammates. In October 2026, Foote pointed to his work ethic and attention to detail as examples for players learning what it takes to sustain an NFL career. Foote’s assessment.
NFL regular season • Career through 2026
The NFL career record
The table covers nine NFL seasons with regular-season appearances, from 2017 through 2026. His 2023 Indianapolis practice-squad stint and 2024 Dallas preseason stint produced no regular-season appearances for those clubs. The asterisk marks the incomplete 2026 season, through November 1, Week 8. NFL postseason and preseason are excluded from regular-season totals.
| Season | Club | G | GS | DEF Solo | DEF Ast | DEF TKL | ST TKL | Sacks | Sack YDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | NO | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2018 | IND | 15 | 4 | 16 | 12 | 28 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| 2019 | IND | 16 | 4 | 20 | 7 | 27 | 1 | 3.0 | 24.0 |
| 2020 | IND | 16 | 0 | 19 | 4 | 23 | 0 | 2.0 | 17.0 |
| 2021 | IND | 17 | 17 | 32 | 16 | 48 | 0 | 6.0 | 51.0 |
| 2022 | CHI | 16 | 9 | 15 | 14 | 29 | 0 | 1.0 | 0.0 |
| 2024 | DET | 9 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 11 | 0 | 3.0 | 21.0 |
| 2025 | DET | 17 | 0 | 15 | 8 | 23 | 2 | 11.0 | 71.0 |
| 2026* | TB | 8 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2.0 | 14.0 |
| NFL career | All clubs | 118 | 38 | 129 | 67 | 196 | 3 | 28.0 | 198.0 |
G = games played; GS = starts; DEF = defense; ST = special teams. DEF Solo + DEF Ast = DEF TKL. The career total is 196 defensive tackles plus three special-teams tackles, or 199 across those phases. The 2025 line separates 23 defensive tackles from two special-teams assists. Sack YDS are credited yards lost; a zero-yard sack still counts.
Sources: 2022 Bears guide, PDF pp. 102–103, 2026 Buccaneers guide, PDF pp. 188–189 and the current gamebooks. NO = New Orleans; IND = Indianapolis; CHI = Chicago; DET = Detroit; TB = Tampa Bay.
The four 2019 starts are confirmed by the original starting lineups: Week 1 · Week 2 · Week 3 · Week 4. The Colts’ 2023 return announcement also records 25 starts across his first four Indianapolis seasons. These records resolve the older guides’ one-start omission and support 38 career starts.
Pass defense and takeaways
| Season | Club | TFL | QB hits | PD | INT | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | NO | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | IND | 5 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2019 | IND | 8 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | IND | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | IND | 7 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2022 | CHI | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | DET | 4 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | DET | 9 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2026* | TB | 2 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| NFL career | All clubs | 38 | 62 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
TFL = tackles for loss; QB hits = hits on the quarterback; PD = official passes defended, including interceptions; INT = interceptions; FF = forced fumbles; FR = recoveries of opponents’ fumbles. The regular-season career contains 28.0 sacks, 38 TFL, 62 QB hits and five forced fumbles.
His only opponent fumble recovery came in 2018, with no return yards. No NFL interception, interception-return touchdown, fumble-recovery touchdown or safety is credited through the cutoff.
Sources: the printed guides above, the Colts’ 2022 season summary, Detroit’s 2024 season review, Tampa Bay’s 2025 production summary, the official takeaway categories and current gamebooks.
NFL postseason appearances
| Season | Date | Club | Round | Opponent | Club result | G | GS | DEF Solo | DEF Ast | DEF TKL | ST TKL | TFL | Sacks | Sack YDS | QB hits |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Jan 5, 2019 | IND | Wild Card | @HOU | W 21–7 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1.0 | 9.0 | 1 |
| 2018 | Jan 12, 2019 | IND | Divisional | @KC | L 13–31 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2020 | Jan 9, 2021 | IND | Wild Card | @BUF | L 24–27 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 |
| 2024 | Jan 18, 2025 | DET | Divisional | WAS | L 31–45 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| Postseason career | — | All clubs | — | — | — | 4 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 3 | 1.0 | 9.0 | 2 |
Muhammad played four actual NFL playoff games: three with Indianapolis and one with Detroit. He started both games following the 2018 season. The original gamebooks credit six solo tackles, one assist, three TFL, two QB hits and one sack, with no special-teams tackle or takeaway.
His sack at Houston on January 5, 2019, came in the postseason; it is separate from the 28.0 regular-season sacks above. January game dates belong to the preceding season. Results are from his club’s perspective; @ = away. HOU = Houston; KC = Kansas City; BUF = Buffalo; WAS = Washington.
Original playoff gamebooks: 2018 Wild Card @HOU · 2018 Divisional @KC · 2020 Wild Card @BUF · 2024 Divisional WAS. Their starting lineups establish the two postseason starts, correcting the guide’s zero-start footer. Playtime reports total 204 defensive and nine special-teams snaps and are labeled unofficial.
September 13–November 1, 2026
Eight appearances through Week 8
| Week | Date | Opponent | TB result | G | GS | DEF snaps | ST snaps | DEF TKL | ST TKL | TFL | Sacks | Sack YDS | QB hits | PD | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sep 13 | @CIN | L 27–33 | 1 | 0 | 26 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Sep 20 | CLE | L 19–23 | 1 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Sep 27 | MIN | L 16–23 | 1 | 1 | 42 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Oct 4 | GB | L 14–17 | 1 | 1 | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Oct 8 | @DAL | W 24–16 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Oct 18 | PIT | L 19–26 (OT) | 1 | 0 | 21 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1.0 | 6.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 7 | Oct 25 | @CAR | W 43–13 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1.0 | 8.0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | Nov 1 | ATL | W 16–0 | 1 | 0 | 23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2026 total | Through Nov 1 | Tampa Bay | — | 8 | 2 | 206 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 2.0 | 14.0 | 4 | 1 | 1 |
All eight rows represent actual appearances. The highlighted Weeks 3–4 were starts. Weeks 2, 5 and 8 had no credited counting statistic, but the original participation and snap reports confirm that he played.
Through Week 8: four solo tackles plus two assists = six defensive tackles, zero special-teams tackles, two sacks, two TFL, four QB hits, one PD and one forced fumble. He played 206 defensive snaps and three special-teams snaps; the NFL labels its playtime reports unofficial.
Results are from Tampa Bay’s perspective; @ = away; OT = overtime. CIN = Cincinnati; CLE = Cleveland; MIN = Minnesota; GB = Green Bay; DAL = Dallas; PIT = Pittsburgh; CAR = Carolina; ATL = Atlanta.
Original gamebooks: Week 1 · Week 2 · Week 3 · Week 4 · Week 5 · Week 6 · Week 7 · Week 8. Sack yards follow the final defensive tables: six in Week 6 and eight in Week 7. The current Buccaneers roster confirms his active status.
University of Miami • 2013 and 2015
His playing seasons with the Hurricanes
Muhammad’s actual Miami playing seasons were 2013 and 2015. He did not appear in a college game in 2014 or 2016. Both bowl appearances below are already included in his 25 career games. Miami’s career overview.
| Season | G | Solo | Ast | TKL | TFL | TFL YDS | Sacks | Sack YDS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 13 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 2.0 | 7 | 2.0 | 7 |
| 2015 | 12 | 34 | 20 | 54 | 8.5 | 35 | 5.0 | 26 |
| Miami career | 25 | 41 | 21 | 62 | 10.5 | 42 | 7.0 | 33 |
G = games played; Solo + Ast = TKL. TFL includes sacks in these university records; YDS = credited yards lost. Miami’s original records total 41 solo + 21 assisted = 62 tackles, including two solo tackles in the 2013 bowl. They do not provide a separate defensive-versus-special-teams tackle split.
Original final records: 2013 season review, PDF p. 12 and 2015 final statistics, PDF p. 7. Miami’s published sources differ on the 2015 start total: seven in the original final summary versus six in the later participation export, PDF p. 22. Annual and career starts are therefore omitted; the individual bowl roles are verified separately.
College disruption and takeaways
| Season | QB hurries | PBU | INT | PD | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Miami career | 6 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
College QB hurries are a different statistic from NFL QB hits. Miami credits six career hurries. PBU = pass breakups, excluding interceptions; PD = PBU + INT. He finished with one PBU, no interception, one forced fumble and no recovery. No blocked kick, safety or defensive touchdown is credited to him.
Sources: the 2013 season review, PDF p. 12 and 2015 final statistics, PDF p. 7. The 2015 individual game log, PDF p. 121 independently confirms the season totals. High-school all-star statistics are excluded.
His actual bowl appearances
| Season | Date | Bowl | Opponent | Miami result | G | GS | Solo | Ast | TKL | TFL | Sacks | QB hurries |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2013 | Dec 28, 2013 | Russell Athletic Bowl | Louisville | L 9–36 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 |
| 2015 | Dec 26, 2015 | Sun Bowl | Washington State | L 14–20 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 |
| Bowl subset | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 1 |
He appeared as a reserve in the 2013 Russell Athletic Bowl, recording two solo tackles, and started the 2015 Sun Bowl, recording two solo tackles, one assist and one quarterback hurry. The bowl subset is five tackles in two games, already included in the annual and career totals.
G = actual appearances; GS = verified starts in these individual games. Results are from Miami’s perspective. Neither appearance produced a sack, TFL, PBU, interception, forced fumble or recovery. Miami’s 2013 bowl safety was a team credit, not a Muhammad safety.
Original gamebooks: Russell Athletic Bowl, defensive table on PDF p. 6 and Sun Bowl, defensive table on PDF p. 4. Participation appears on PDF pp. 2/10 and p. 5, respectively.
Sources & statistical notes
The records behind the spotlight
- Identity and career: Buccaneers profile, 2026 team media guide, Miami career overview and Miami signing-day biography.
- Featured performance: Detroit’s Dallas recap and Lions 2025 edge-rusher review.
- Tampa Bay: March 2026 signing announcement, training-camp interview and Carolina strip-sack breakdown.
- Family and perspective: Saints draft-day interview and Lions podcast summary.
- NFL statistics: Chicago’s 2022 and Tampa Bay’s 2026 media guides, original 2019 starting lineups, all eight completed 2026 Buccaneers gamebooks and four actual NFL playoff gamebooks. Defensive and special-teams tackle credits are kept separate.
- College statistics: Miami’s original 2013 season review and 2015 final records, the later official 2015 participation export, and the two original bowl gamebooks. The source disagreement over annual starts is disclosed beside the college table.
- Portrait: the current official Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster image.
Updated November 3, 2026. NFL regular-season statistics stop after November 1, Week 8; preseason is excluded. NFL postseason figures are separate. The college bowl appearances are subsets already included in Miami’s annual and career totals. Pass breakups exclude interceptions; passes defended include them.