The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made some changes this offseason. Maybe not enough for some fans, but enough to give the team hope for a turnaround in 2026.
One of those new additions is safety Miles Killebrew. The FA addition spent the last five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, earning a First-Team All-Pro nod in 2023 and two Pro Bowl nods in 2023 and 2025. Despite missing time last year, the Buccaneers saw something in him that made them believe he could be an answer as a core special teams contributor and backup in the secondary.
Bucs' fans now know why the safety chose the Buccaneers out of all the other suitors.
Miles Killebrew credits special teams coach Danny Smith for leading him to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Following one of the Bucs' OTA sessions, Killebrew was asked about his relationship with his former coach in Pittsburgh. Needless to say, he was quite thrilled to reunite with him in Tampa.
Video: Bucs safety Miles Killebrew says STC Danny Smith was a “giant factor” in him following his path from the Steelers to Tampa this spring. pic.twitter.com/fKwAGiVDvi
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) June 16, 2026
Smith joined the Bucs this offseason as well, a free agent coach who is tasked with rebuilding one of the worst ST units in the league over the last couple of years.
"Smith is one of the league’s most respected special teams coaches," said Pewter Plank's own Josh Crysler about the addition. "The 72-year-old is coming off a 13-year run in Pittsburgh, where he consistently oversaw some of the NFL’s best special teams units."
Steelers fans were not thrilled to see Smith leave Pittsburgh. In Tampa, he is already holding his players accountable, and Killebrew knows it all too well.
"I know what he expects out there on the field. So when he made the move down here, I saw my forecast 'sunny skies.'" "Miles Killebrew
Killebrew will kill it on special teams, but he needs to do the same at safety, where the Buccaneers need someone to stand up and help add leadership quality to the defense. If he succeeds, the Buccaneers' defense is going to be good, especially if he can play at the Pro Bowl level he did before getting injured.
As for Smith, it's not clear how long he will continue to coach. At 72, he is getting to the point in his career that many start to look at walking away from the game, but after 13 seasons in Pittsburgh and an NFL career dating all the way back to a four-stint with the Eagles in 1995, he doesn't look ready just yet.
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