by Carter Brantley
The post-Tom Brady Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been a fun group of guys.
A good mix of rookies and new names mixed in will with veterans from that 2020 Super Bowl team that lifted the Lombardi Trophy inside Raymond James Stadium.
That remains the story as the Bucs c. 2025 looks to begin their 2025-26 campaign after winning their first two preseason games against the Titans and Steelers (not that results in these warmups matter).
The Bucs have won their division every year under head coach Todd Bowles—four years in a row to be exact—and look to not only continue that dominance but finally get over that playoff hump that’s troubled them (two exits in the Wild Card round, two more in the Divisional).
The team got some bad news this week, with second-year receiver Jalen McMillan suffering a serious neck injury that put him on injured reserve. Many reports suggest the former Washington man will be out until at least Week 9, but with the Bucs’ first round selection of Ohio State wideout Emeka Egbuka, and veteran Chris Godwin hopefully returning at some point, the injury shouldn’t be much of a concern.
Franchise icon Mike Evans will look to continue his streak of seasons with at least 1,000 receiving yards, and fan-favorites in quarterback Baker Mayfield and running back Bucky Irving look to continue to build off what was an immensely successful 2024 campaign.
The Bucs managed to secure another division title last year despite the aforementioned Evans missing significant time in the middle of the season, as well as Godwin suffering a season-ending ankle injury.
But those Pewter Pirates were unable to capitalize on their home-field advantage in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, as they fell to the young upstart Washington Commanders in a heartbreaker.
This season they’ll be in good position again to win the abysmal NFC South, as well as challenge the defending Super Bowl champions for an NFC crown.
While the Philadelphia Eagles were able to make quick work of nearly every team they faced in their bulldozer of a playoff run, it’s always difficult to repeat, with talented players getting paid elsewhere and the inconvenient health bug always waiting to bite.
Tampa Bay also had an impressive (if not headline-creating) offseason, adding depth and maintaining their talented core of veterans.
Their drafting of two potential impact corners is exciting for a pass defense that ranked near the bottom in most major categories.
Pass rush extraordinaire Haason Reddick is a nice low-risk, high-reward addition, as the former Eagle looks to reclaim his glory as an elite outside linebacker and earn himself a big payday after a hopefully productive season with the Bucs.
Linebacker Lavonte David is back, and Antoine Walker, Jr. and SirVocea Dennis hope to give the future Hall of Famer a more stable running mate at the linebacker position.
The ILB2 spot was a revolving door of unproductive journeymen last season, and more consistency from that spot would do wonders to solidify what was at best a shaky defense last year.
The offensive line will be without superstar tackle Tristan Wirfs for a few games to start the season, but once the perennial All-Pro returns the offense will be a fully operational Death Star.
One of the best groups in football last season, the Bucs managed to turn what was once a glaring weakness into a strength, as the run game went from worst to nearly-first with the emergence of B(D)ucky Irving and improvement from the interior offensive line.
While offensive coordinator Liam Coen may have left for north Florida in the offseason, internal replacement Josh Grizzard looks to maintain much of what made the Bucs offense elite last year.
So, all in all, the Bucs are primed and ready for yet another fun season, and while a Super Bowl may not be the most realistic option, it’s certainly not totally out of the question or realm of possibility.
My guess is they end up in the NFC Championship Game after an excellent regular season where they’re finally able to secure a first-round bye, but fall short to those dang Eagles.
Hey, if that happens that’ll be another heck of a year, and who knows, maybe they can make some magic happen and go all the way?
The Bucs kick off the regular season with a Sept. 7 game against Atlanta and make their home debut on Sept. 21 against the New York Jets.
