The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fired offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard after just one season with the team following an 8–9 campaign that fell well short of expectations.
The offense faltered badly down the stretch. Baker Mayfield’s play regressed significantly. Despite finally getting all of their top receivers back healthy later in the season, there was no clear plan to scheme touches for the team’s best playmakers. The production was severely underwhelming relative to the amount of talent on the roster.
The results showed up clearly in the numbers. The Bucs finished 18th in scoring at 22.5 points per game, just one year after ranking fourth in the NFL at 29.5 points per game. They also fell from third in total offense at 399.5 yards per game to 21st at just 321 yards per game this season.
Perhaps the biggest concern was the lack of creativity and how predictable the offense became as the season went on. Bucs fans watching at home often knew what was coming, so it’s fair to assume opposing defenses did too. That suspicion was essentially confirmed by Saints cornerback Kool-Aid McKinstry.
In an appearance on the Closed on Sundays podcast hosted by cornerbacks Pat Surtain and Terrion Arnold, McKinstry was asked his favorite opposing team to play against.
#Saints CB Kool-Aid McKinstry named the #Bucs as his favorite team to go against.
— Josh Crysler (@josh_crysler) January 16, 2026
“Them boys gon’ have to change their playbook. I know everything.”
Quite the indictment against Josh Grizzard and how predictable Tampa Bay’s offense became down the stretch. https://t.co/pgysScp3th
“Mine is Tampa,” McKinstry said. “Them boys gon’ have to change their playbook. I know everything.”
In two games against the Bucs in 2025, McKinstry totaled 11 tackles and three passes defended.
McKinstry’s comments are a brutal indictment of Grizzard and the Buccaneers’ offense. When a defensive player for a division rival is comfortable saying he knows everything you’re going to run, it sends a clear message: the scheme has become too predictable, and something has to change.
As the Buccaneers’ search for a new offensive coordinator continues, they should prioritize a candidate who can consistently keep defenses on their heels with creative play calling — not the stale, predictable offense Tampa Bay ran under Grizzard.