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Yaya Diaby Is Just Two Sacks Away from Shaking the NFL - and the Entire League Knows It

TAMPA, Fla. – Eight sacks in twelve games. Two more and Yaya Diaby hits double-digits for the first time, something only three edge rushers in Buccaneers history have ever done as early as Year 2. Right now the entire league is asking the same question: who turned the heat up this high, this fast?

The numbers don’t lie. Diaby has 2.5 sacks in the last two weeks alone, terrorizing Giants tackles and making quarterbacks see ghosts. Todd Bowles can barely hide his grin when he talks about it. “We’re getting pressure from everywhere now,” the head coach said Wednesday. “When you can’t just slide the protection one way and survive, that’s when offenses break.” Translation: good luck picking your poison when Diaby, Haason Reddick, Vita Vea, and Anthony Nelson are all hunting.

Diaby himself isn’t shy about the milestone. After practice he leaned against a goalpost, sweat still dripping, and delivered a line that sent reporters scrambling for their phones. “Ten? That’s not the goal, that’s the checkpoint,” he said with a smirk. “I’m trying to make quarterbacks retire early. Ten’s just where the countdown starts.” The confidence isn’t cocky; it’s calculated. Arizona’s porous offensive line is next, followed by a Saints front missing half its starters. Two very gettable games.

Inside the building, the belief is unanimous. Reddick, who arrived in a mid-season trade and already has three sacks himself, pulled Diaby aside last week and told him straight: “Bro, you’re about to take this league over. Just keep doing what you’re doing.” When a two-time 15-sack guy says that, people listen. Even Vita Vea, not exactly known for hype, admitted the interior pressure he creates is opening one-on-one matchups Diaby is feasting on. “I just eat up the double-team,” Vea shrugged. “Then it’s open season for 9 (Diaby’s number).”

So here’s the math: five games left, two sacks needed, and a pass rush that currently ranks third in the NFL with 39 takedowns. Do the obvious and Diaby finishes somewhere between 12 and 14, instantly vaults into the elite edge conversation, and gives Tampa the scariest front it has had since the Super Bowl year. The Bucs aren’t just trying to win the NFC South anymore; they’re building something that can scare Detroit, Philadelphia, anybody. And it all runs through a 25-year-old who was a third-round pick just two offseasons ago.

Two sacks. That’s it. Two more nightmares for quarterbacks and Yaya Diaby goes from promising to problem, from rotational piece to the face of the Tampa pass rush. The countdown is on, and the league already feels the heat.

Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes' glitzy steakhouse rocked by lawsuit claiming partners siphoned millions and 'extorted' lawyer as he battled blood cancer
Kansas City, Missouri – January 2026 Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes’ trendy Kansas City steakhouse, 1587 Prime, has found itself at the center of a controversy after a lawsuit alleged that its business partners, Tosh Berman and Michael Tanha, siphoned millions of dollars from the company and “extorted” their legal counsel during a critical time when the attorney was fighting blood cancer. The lawsuit, filed by Matthew Syken, the former general counsel of the restaurant’s parent company Noble 33, claims that Berman and Tanha engaged in fraudulent activity while Syken was on medical leave for cancer treatment. According to Syken, the two allegedly misappropriated funds from a deal with a gift card company, inKind, which had paid Noble 33 millions in advance for store credits redeemable at their chain of restaurants. Syken claims that after he uncovered the financial irregularities and confronted Berman and Tanha, they retaliated by withholding his pay, firing him, and canceling his medical insurance during his recovery. He further accuses them of threatening his legal career in an attempt to silence him, adding to the emotional and financial strain he was already facing. “I had no choice but to speak up. I’ve been through enough, and I thought it was my responsibility to make sure Noble 33 was operating fairly. To be fired in such a cruel manner, especially while fighting cancer, is something I’ll never forget. The truth needs to come out,” Syken stated. Kelce and Mahomes, both of whom have had stakes in 1587 Prime, have not been named as defendants in the lawsuit, and sources close to the two superstars say they were unaware of the alleged misconduct. Despite the controversy, Kelce and Mahomes have continued to promote the restaurant as a high-end destination for fans and celebrities alike. The lawsuit, which has gained significant media attention, claims that Berman and Tanha used the inKind gift card deal to generate upfront cash that was allegedly funneled into their private accounts, while Syken’s attempts to uncover the scheme were met with hostility. Berman and Tanha have denied all wrongdoing, accusing Syken of embezzling funds himself, but the lawsuit continues to unfold as the legal battle intensifies. With a history of Super Bowl victories and major endorsements, both Kelce and Mahomes now find themselves linked to a serious legal battle that threatens the future of their restaurant venture. As the case progresses, many are wondering whether 1587 Prime can withstand the controversy and whether the public image of the two stars will be affected by the ongoing legal issues.