It's been one-and-done for each of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' previous two offensive coordinators, Dave Canales and Liam Coen. They emerged as highly sought-after commodities during their respective hiring cycles and quickly landed head coaching gigs.
The Buccaneers chose to promote from within to replace Coen, naming former pass game coordinator Josh Grizzard as their third play-caller in as many seasons. The latter’s transition has been as smooth as the club could’ve hoped for. That’s great – until it isn’t.
Success is a double-edged sword, as Tampa Bay has learned the hard way. Grizzard is helping the Buccaneers win, though he’s also catching the eyes of rival front offices. If he continues to thrive, the team may have to start bracing to lose him.
Buccaneers could be set to lose third OC in as many seasons if Josh Grizzard keeps cooking
Apparently, bad things come in threes, because Grizzard might find himself on a similar fast-track trajectory. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler mentioned the Bucs’ OC among assistants who have boosted their stock the most thus far in the 2025 campaign. That spells trouble for Tampa Bay, which presumably would love some stability and continuity at what’s been a revolving door of a job.
" ... the Tampa Bay offensive pipeline is pipelining again," Fowler wrote. "Josh Grizzard has taken over, and the Buccaneers' offense hasn't missed a beat. It still ranks high in most offensive categories despite a rash of injuries, and quarterback Baker Mayfield is still dealing."
First Canales, then Coen. Now their successor could reportedly follow suit. The Bucs surely know how to pick 'em, which bodes well for Grizzard. Conversely, Tampa Bay's ability to churn out offensive tacticians has made it susceptible to seeing respected football minds and leaders leave.
Grizzard has impressively kept the machine running. Tampa Bay's approach has been very similar to what it was under Coen's guidance, which some can use as an argument against the former's impact. Nevertheless, the 4-1 Bucs are seventh in scoring and 10th in yards per play through five weeks, which speaks volumes.
Besides, fighting the urge to put your own touches on something can be hard, especially when trying to make a mark in the NFL. No one would've blamed Grizzard for trying to stand out and craft a scheme to put his name on. But less is more sometimes, as seen in this case.