Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2025 Season Preview
By: Michael Higgins
(Image courtesy of Tori Richman/Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have seemingly avoided a rebuild after the short, yet successful, Tom Brady era. Taking a flyer on QB Baker Mayfield has already seen its benefits both for the team and for Mayfield. On top of the quarterback situation being taken care of, they have done an incredible job drafting and filling the roster with talent.
Departures: The Bucs are already in one of the weaker divisions in football, so they will likely be able to keep it in a chokehold for some time. Tampa did not part with too much production from the 2024 season; CB Troy Hill, EDGE Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, OT Robert Hainsey, OT Justin Skule, DL William Gholston and SAF Jordan Whitehead all found new homes. While these are solid depth pieces that will need to be replaced, the Buccaneers will have no issue filling these holes.
Additions: Aside from P Riley Dixon, GM Jason Licht did not hand out a single multi-year contract. He did, however, sign EDGE Haason Reddick, LB Anthony Walker Jr., and CB Kindle Vildor to one-year contracts. They did not have the most extensive list of signings, but they attacked what they needed. Reddick has the chance to bounce back and return to the form he was in with Philadelphia and Arizona.
Draft Selections: Tampa had one of my favorite draft classes in the NFL. They went with best player available most rounds and it worked out for them. In the first two rounds, they went with WR Emeka Egbuka and CB Benjamin Morrison. I had both players as 1st round grades in my pre draft analysis. They picked up Kansas State CB Jacob Parrish at the end of Day 2, one of my draft crushes who saw his stock rise late in the process. They also picked up two edge rushers in Elijah Roberts and David Walker. Both should make the roster and I expect them to impact the defensive front in a rotational capacity. Tez Johnson was their final pick in the draft. He did not fall due to a lack of talent, but due to size. If he can overcome the size deficiencies, he could be a real difference maker.
Season Predictions: The Buccaneers start the season with two road games – Week 1 against the Falcons and Week 2 on Monday Night Football against the Texans. The back half of September includes two home games against the Jets and Eagles. The Buccaneers will go 2-2 to start the season.
They start October in Seattle against the Seahawks before returning home to host the 49ers. They conclude the month with two road games against the Lions on Monday Night Football and the Saints in Week 8 followed by a Week 9 bye. The Buccaneers go 3-1 in October.
November starts in Tampa against the Patriots, two road games against the Bills and a Sunday Night Football date with the Rams, and concludes with them hosting the Cardinals. The Buccaneers go 2-2 in this span.
The final stretch of the season is mainly filled with divisional battles. They host the Saints and play the Falcons on Thursday Night Football. They go on the road to play both the Panthers and Dolphins before returning home to play the Panthers in the final game of the season. The Buccaneers will go 4-1 in this final stretch to end the season.
Final Thoughts: I have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers going 11-6 in 2025. They have one of the most complete and well-rounded offenses in the league with a veteran defense. Their weakness was the pass rush last season and with the addition of Reddick and draft picks, expect to see an improvement.
