You ever watch a team look like a Super Bowl lock in October only to see them completely fall apart by Christmas? That was the reality for anyone following tampa bay buccaneer football this past year. It’s kinda wild. One minute, Baker Mayfield is lighting up the scoreboard, and the next, the team is staring at an 8-9 record, wondering where it all went south.
Honestly, the "post-Brady" era in Tampa has been a rollercoaster. Most people expected a slow decline. Instead, the Bucs won the NFC South four years in a row. Then 2025 happened. It was the 50th season for the franchise, and it started like a dream—a 6-2 start, the best since 2021. But then the wheels didn't just come off; they basically exploded in a ditch during a seven-loss-in-eight-games stretch that left fans speechless.
What Actually Happened to Tampa Bay Buccaneer Football in 2025?
If you look at the box scores, you might blame the defense. Or the coaching. But the real story is a bit messier. The Bucs tried to maintain an identity built on "resilience," a word Baker Mayfield kept using in press conferences, but resilience has a ceiling when your roster is held together by athletic tape.
The Injury Bug Wasn't Just a Bug
It was an infestation. You can't talk about this season without mentioning that Mike Evans and Chris Godwin—the two most prolific receivers in the history of the team—didn't play a single game together in 2025. That’s insane. Evans dealt with a hamstring issue early, then broke his collarbone against the Ravens. Godwin was fighting a fibula injury.
When your two primary weapons are out, you're asking a lot of rookies. Luckily, Emeka Egbuka, the first-round pick out of Ohio State, was a total revelation. He stepped in and looked like a seasoned vet, hauling in 63 catches for 938 yards. Without him, the offense would have been unwatchable.
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The Offensive Coordinator Carousel
Continuity is a myth in Tampa lately. For the fourth straight year, the team had a new offensive coordinator. Liam Coen left for the Jacksonville head coaching job, and Josh Grizzard took the reins. While Grizzard's system helped the Bucs rank top-five in total yards early on, the "downfield explosive plays" he promised never really materialized consistently.
By January, Grizzard was fired. That’s the brutal reality of the NFL—if you collapse after the bye week, somebody usually loses their job.
The Baker Mayfield Contract Situation
Everyone is talking about Baker. He threw for 3,693 yards and 26 touchdowns this year. Not bad, right? Especially considering he was playing through a left shoulder injury that he basically just ignored for half the season.
But here’s where it gets sticky for the front office. Baker is entering the final year of his three-year, $100 million deal in 2026. His cap hit is scheduled to be a massive $51 million.
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- He wants to be paid like a top-tier starter (think $45M+ a year).
- The Bucs have to decide if a 30-year-old quarterback with a history of gutsy-but-risky play is worth that kind of investment when the roster has huge holes.
- If they don't extend him, they risk him walking for nothing in free agency.
Basically, the 2026 offseason is going to be defined by whether Jason Licht, the General Manager, thinks Baker is "the guy" or just a high-end bridge.
Defensive Struggles and the Hot Seat
Todd Bowles survived the purge of the coaching staff, but he’s definitely on the hot seat. The defense was... well, "porous" is a kind way to put it. Despite having Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey in the middle, the secondary was constantly getting burned.
The low point? Losing to the Carolina Panthers in Week 16, which effectively handed the division over. When you lose to a division rival that you’ve historically dominated, people start asking for heads. Bowles is a defensive mastermind, but when your defense ranks in the bottom half of the league in points allowed, the "mastermind" label starts to feel a bit light.
Bright Spots in the Chaos
It wasn't all bad.
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- Bucky Irving: The rookie running back was a beast. He had a 37.1% missed tackle percentage—the best in the NFL.
- Antoine Winfield Jr.: Another Pro Bowl year. He’s the heart of that secondary, even if he was often the only one making plays.
- Lavonte David: The man is 35 and still led the team with 114 tackles. He tied Derrick Brooks’ record for most games played as a Buccaneer.
Next Steps for the Franchise
If you're a fan or just following the team, the focus shifts to the 2026 draft and free agency immediately. The team has massive holes on the interior offensive line. Graham Barton, the center, struggled mightily because the guards next to him—Cody Mauch and Ben Bredeson—were out with injuries.
To get back to the top of the NFC South, Tampa has to fix three things. First, they need to resolve the Mayfield contract so they aren't distracted by it all summer. Second, they have to find a way to keep Mike Evans and Chris Godwin on the field at the same time; that duo is the engine of the team. Third, the secondary needs a complete overhaul. Relying on undrafted free agents and aging veterans in the backfield is a recipe for getting torched by the likes of Kirk Cousins or Bryce Young.
Watch the "Reserve-Futures" signings and the scouting reports on interior linemen. That's where the 2026 season will be won or lost.