The Tampa Bay Buccaneers could be in the market for a head coach next offseason. Todd Bowles is entering this season on the hot seat, and if the Bucs have another disappointing season, it’s a virtual guarantee that Tampa Bay will be looking for new leadership.
Jon Gruden, who coached the team to its first Super Bowl title, has plenty of ties to the organization and has been open about his desire to return to the sidelines.
Admittedly, Gruden returning to coach the Buccaneers is a pie-in-the-sky proposition as things currently stand. But if he somehow did end up back with the Buccaneers nearly two decades after being fired following the 2008 season, Tampa Bay already has the perfect quarterback for him to work with — one Gruden is itching to coach.
Jon Gruden would love to coach Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield
Gruden recently spoke to reporters after it was revealed he would be in the broadcast booth with Rondé Barber for Tampa Bay’s Week 2 preseason game against the Chiefs.
Gruden took questions about all things Bucs, and naturally, Baker Mayfield was a topic of discussion.
Gruden, who is a quarterback guru and played the position himself during his college days, couldn't hide his enthusiasm about Mayfield.
“He’s one of the more productive guys the last three years if you’re into touchdowns and yards passing. The durability is what I love about this guy. 51 straight starts. He doesn’t complain about the injuries, he plays through things. Hopefully we can protect him and hopefully we take better care of the ball. He has had some interceptions and fumbles. He is reckless, man. But he is fun to watch. I wish I would’ve had that guy,” Gruden said.
Brad Johnson, Jeff Garcia, Chris Simms, and Bruce Gradkowski were the four quarterbacks who started at least 10 games for Gruden in Tampa Bay. It’s not a particularly inspiring group of signal-callers.
While Gruden did win a Super Bowl with Johnson, he was largely asked to be a game manager as Tampa Bay boasted one of the best defenses in NFL history.
Mayfield bests all of Gruden’s former Bucs quarterbacks in nearly every major passing statistic. He leads them all in completion percentage, yards per attempt, yards per game, touchdowns per game, and passer rating.
It makes sense, as Mayfield was a No. 1 overall pick, while none of the quarterbacks Gruden coached in Tampa Bay were selected in the first round.
Mayfield would be the most talented quarterback Gruden ever had the chance to coach in Tampa Bay, and could potentially be the best quarterback Gruden has ever worked with as an NFL head coach, period. He also coached Derek Carr and Rich Gannon in Oakland, but Mayfield would easily surpass Carr and could challenge Gannon for that distinction.
It remains a long shot that Gruden returns to coach the Buccaneers, but if he did, the opportunity would come complete with the best quarterback and offensive roster Gruden has ever gotten to work with in Tampa Bay.
The return of Gruden would certainly be a culture-changing move, and the fanbase would be ecstatic to see “Chucky” back roaming the sidelines of Raymond James Stadium.
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