The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be implementing a new scheme in 2026 after bringing in Zac Robinson as the new offensive coordinator.
Tampa Bay’s offense struggled last season, ranking No. 21 in yards per game and No. 22 in points per game. There is simply way too much talent on the roster to rank in the bottom-third of the NFL offensively, which is why Josh Grizzard was fired after just one year. The hope is Robinson’s scheme will help the unit recapture the success it enjoyed in 2024.
This early into the offseason, it’s difficult to project exactly how this offense will look as it’s still being installed, but mandatory minicamp revealed one change that will make this Bucs offense unrecognizable.
Zac Robinson has big plans for Buccaneers tight ends
Robinson’s offense is known to utilize the tight end position heavily. Last season, his Atlanta Falcons ran 12 personnel at the second-highest rate in the entire league. Multiple tight end sets were a fixture for his scheme.
That’s a drastic change from Tampa Bay’s offense last season under Grizzard.
Last year, the Bucs were the final team in the NFL to record a touchdown catch from the tight end position. The first didn’t come until Week 15 , and Tampa Bay’s tight ends combined for just two touchdown receptions all season.
Things are already changing under Robinson.
Just as the first day of mini-camp was wrapping up:
— PewterReport 🏴☠️ (@PewterReport) June 16, 2026
-Baker Mayfield intercepted in the back of the end zone by Antoine Winfield Jr. on a pass intended for Chris Godwin Jr.
-Mayfield TD pass to Payne Durham
-Jake Browning TD passes to Ted Hurst and Bauer Sharp
Per Pewter Report, on the first day of minicamp, Bucs tight ends caught a pair of touchdown passes in team drills. Payne Durham caught a score from Baker Mayfield, while standout rookie Bauer Sharp caught a touchdown from Jake Browning.
The Bucs targeting tight ends in the red zone is a welcome sight after they largely failed to utilize the position enough last season.
Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts ranked second in the NFL with 928 receiving yards in 2025, and tacked on five touchdowns while accounting for 25% of the team’s receiving production.
Cade Otton is no Pitts, but he’s still capable of playing a big role for Robinson’s scheme. Back in 2024, Otton caught 59 passes for 600 yards and four touchdowns in only 14 games played. As a whole, the Bucs tight end room accumulated six touchdown catches that season compared to only two last year.
It’s no secret the Bucs boast one of the deepest wide receiver rooms in the league, and there will be no shortage of production from the team’s wideouts. But unlocking the tight end position and putting even more pressure on opposing defenses could elevate this offense closer to the elite standard fans got accustomed to back in 2024.
Robinson’s emphasis on the tight end position looks to be the biggest change for Tampa Bay’s offense entering the upcoming season as the unit looks to return to its peak form.
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