The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fanbase will always hold the members of the 2020-21 NFL champions in very high regard, but perhaps no figure from that team has received more universal love and praise than head coach Bruce Arians. In an update that assuredly scared some fans, Arians confirmed he will undergo a major medical procedure.
Arians, 73, told Bucs fans online that he is going to undergo open-heart surgery. While fans were understandably nervous about the procedure, Arians confirmed that what he is undergoing is a relatively routine operation that he and his doctor have been discussing it for quite some time.
"Recently on The Today Show, I mentioned I would be having open heart surgery and I just wanted to clarify and let everyone know the procedure I am having is a common one," Arians said via social media, "They recommend I correct the issue now so l can be as good as new [and] back on the golf course ASAP. I want to thank everyone for all the prayers and well-wishes
Bucs Super Bowl-winning coach Bruce Arians to have open-heart surgery
Tampa Bay only has two Super Bowl wins to its name and Arians has one of them. Arians, who remains employed by the team as a "Senior Football Consultant," installed a cavalier offensive style that has still persisted among this team years after he retired from coaching.
From the last few gasps of Jameis Winston to the halcyon days of the Tom Brady era and even the last few years of Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay has built a volatile, electric passing game that has been extremely fun to watch for fans and casual viewers alike. That's Arians' influence at work.
Arians' 31 wins in charge of Tampa Bay rank fifth all-time in franchise history behind Todd Bowles, John McKay, Tony Dungy, and Jon Gruden. However, his .633 winning percentage is the best mark in franchise history, and it seems very unlikely that someone will ever break that record.
While undergoing a procedure like this can always be a scary notion, it seems like Arians is going to make a full recovery without too many complications. We send our best well wishes to the Arians family in what is assuredly going to be a very stressful time.