Why a shortened NFL season would hurt the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Despite the current pandemic, the NFL is pressing on with its plan to play the 2020 season and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are among the front-runners for NFC competition.
Though Buccaneers fans are obviously hoping for a big-time season, there are still concerns and doubts about what the season will look like and if it will even be played.
There have been discussions among NFL analysts that a season could be shortened. Others still think the season may be cancelled completely before it’s all said and done.
No matter which way you look at it, either of those two options would be devastating for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Time is not on the side of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
There is not a team that is more sold out to being in ‘win-now’ mode than the Buccaneers are heading into this season.
The Bucs brought in QB Tom Brady on a two-year deal worth $50 million and also made a trade to bring in his former teammate TE Rob Gronkowski.
This is a team and a franchise that is sold out to winning now, in 2020.
If the season is cancelled, you’re talking about Brady being a year older before he makes his Tampa Bay debut. You’re talking about a valuable year- as we’re trying to beat Father Time’s clock- that would just be gone and thrown out the window.
Even a shortened season, though, would affect the Bucs negatively.
With so many new parts, players are going to be struggling to find their roles early in the season. It’s going to take some time (and a few games) to figure out what things will truly look like on-the-field. If we see a shortened season, you’re talking about even less time than we already have (which is going to be minimal) for players to develop chemistry and for them to learn their roles and get a grasp on things.
It will be interesting to see what happens with the 2020 NFL season, but it’s clear that anything other than playing a full season will be detrimental to the entire Buccaneers organization in more ways than one.