The Pro Bowl doesn’t have as much fanfare as it once did, but that doesn’t mean that there isn’t any good that can come out of it. Bucs safety Antoine Winfield Jr. was a beneficiary of the event as he won defensive MVP at the Pro Bowl as the NFC defeated the AFC 66-52 on Tuesday night.

There was an Offensive and Defensive MVP given out for the game. George Pickens of the Cowboys won it for NFC offense while it was Winfield representing the Bucs on the defensive side.

Bucs Safety Antoine Winfield Jr. Makes Big Play

Antoine Winfield Jr. had a highlight interception off of Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow late in the game to secure the win fro the NFC. They were up eight at the time late in the game as the AFC was attempting to drive and tie the game back up.

The Buccaneers’ defensive star made a great one handed catch for the pick after Ja’Marr Chase bobbled the pass from Burrow. Winfield was in the position and grabbed the ball with one arm to essentially close out the game.

Bucs S Antoine Winfield Jr. and OLB Yaya Diaby – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The play was accentuated even more as ESPN was interviewing injured Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons at the time, who went crazy over the Winfield interception. Here is a clip of the play.

“I had a great time,” Winfield told ESPN’s Laura Rutledge following the game. “We all just fought hard, played with each other and we just did our thing and won. Shout-out to the NFC.”

It is the second time in three seasons that a Buccaneers player has won Pro Bowl MVP. Quarterback Baker Mayfield won Offensive MVP in his first year in Tampa in 2023 (the game was played in 2024) followed by Winfield on the defensive side on Tuesday night.

Bucs free safety Antoine Winfield Jr. – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Nathan Ray Seebeck

This was the second Pro Bowl that Antoine Winfield Jr. has made and played in for Tampa Bay. His first was after the 2021 season where he recorded a pick-six. While Winfield didn’t take last night’s interception to the house in the 2026 game, he does have a claim that every time he’s played in a Pro Bowl, he’s recorded an interception. Winfield had a pick-six on Patrick Mahomes in his first Pro Bowl appearance.

Winfield had an intriguing season for Tampa Bay. It was a step up from the year before as he wound up playing in all 17 games and recorded 93 tackles, four tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery, eight pass breakups and two interceptions. However, it wasn’t very close to his All-Pro season from 2023.

Having Winfield bounce back was definitely important for Tampa Bay. The next step for him is regaining his All-Pro form. When he’s on, he’s the best player on Tampa Bay’s defense and can have such an influence on the game. Hopefully this Pro Bowl MVP honor can give him a head start for an even better 2026 season.