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The 2025 season kicks off Thursday, August 28 at 5:30 p.m. against Boise State!

The Bucs enter this season aiming to reach the football summit.

At year’s end, to be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy loud and proud on the night of February 8th, 2026, at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

That is the goal of every NFL team, but what separates Tampa Bay from the rest of the contenders is its high-scoring offense. Led by first-year offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard, the organization is betting on Grizzard to pick up where Liam Coen left off. There will be an adjustment, but there is no lack of offensive weapons for the bright offensive mind to utilize. That is why – after previewing the 2025 Bucs – former head coach and well-known football guru Jon Gruden spent time breaking down the unit extensively.

Jon Gruden Thinks Josh Grizzard Will Do A Good Job As Bucs OC

Well, if providing an overview of the Bucs had Jon Gruden feeling nicey, discussing the offense got him absolutely pumped up.

Gruden is known for his offensive mind that cultivated a deep playbook with West Coast origins. He began his NFL coaching career as an offensive assistant with the 49ers and Packers in the early 1990s under Mike Holmgren, where he absorbed Bill Walsh’s offensive style.

Everyone knows he cemented his legacy in 2002 by leading the Bucs to their first Super Bowl win, defeating his former team – the Raiders. Though the team’s victory to put them atop the league was driven by a historic defense, Gruden’s ability to game plan with quarterback Brad Johnson was crucial.

Former Bucs HC Jon Gruden – Photo by: USA Today

In discussing Gruden’s roots, it is interesting to look at Josh Grizzard’s own background. While he did not learn from Holmgren, he spent plenty of time absorbing the offensive ideology of head coaches Adam Gase and Mike McDaniel. That, paired with Grizzard’s time under offensive coordinator Liam Coen last year, has him set up for success.

“Josh Grizzard is a young coach, came out of the Miami Dolphin pipeline with Mike McDaniel,” Gruden said beginning his Bucs’ offensive preview. “He was a wide receivers coach. He was Liam Coen’s right-hand man. He was in charge of the third-down package. He was Liam Coen’s eyes in the sky. He was up in the press box, studying coverages, what are the blitzes? He communicated down to down with Liam Coen. I think this guy, even though he hasn’t called plays, I know he’s been preparing to call plays. Keep an eye on this guy Grizzard. He’s going to do a good job in his first year as the OC.”

Bucs OC Josh Grizzard – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

It is a big boon that Grizzard has so much to work with. It is a highly balanced offense led by quarterback Baker Mayfield that features one of the top wide receiver and running back rooms. Not to mention, all five starters returning on one of the best offensive lines in football and a young but developing group of tight ends.

“I love watching Tampa Bay on offense,” Gruden continued by saying. “You know how you get all the films they come in and you think, who do you want to watch first? Well, I love watching Detroit on offense and I love watching Tampa, man. Not because of my loyalty, but because they got a balanced offense. They can knock your ass off running the ball, you’ll see, and they can throw it as good or better than anybody in football.

“They have firepower coming out of the backfield with Bucky Irving. They got great receivers, a well-known tight end presence in Cade Otton. I don’t think many fans know who he is, but the guy catches 60 passes, and they got a hell of an offensive line. Very versatile, very explosive, and they got a balanced offense.”

Jon Gruden Would Take Bucs LT Tristan Wirfs Over Anybody

The offensive line is not a position that shares much of the limelight or gets fans in the seats.

Still, Jon Gruden jumps up out of his whenever he watches Bucs left tackle Tristan Wirfs and the rest of Tampa Bay’s big guys.

Bucs LT Tristan Wirfs – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“I want to give credit where credit is due, and that’s the offensive line,” Gruden said. “Nobody ever talks about the offensive line in fantasy football. If I was a fantasy football owner, you know who I would take with my first pick? I’d take Tristan Wirfs. He’s the only guy I know of that’s been All-Pro First-Team at right tackle and left tackle. Plus, I saw him in the swimming pool jump out of the water and land on the freaking land. This guy’s a bitch. This guy is a hell of a football player.

“He’s the best left tackle in the league. Luke Goedeke at right tackle, he’s a hell of a player, an excellent football player. And the center? Graham Barton, OK, first-round pick last year out of Duke. This guy’s going to be the best center in the history of this franchise. And they get solid guard play from Ben Bredeson and Cody Mauch.”

Yes, Wirfs is likely out to begin the season, but when he suits up the offense’s most dominant player will be back to his old ways.

“Tristan Wirfs is a shutout artist,” Gruden added. I mean the lowest pressure rate, if you’re into all these stats, comes off Wirfs and nobody is asked to play one-on-one pass protection more. They got a great offensive line, second in the NFL in least amount of pressure and third in the NFL averaging 5.3 yards a carry. They can run block, they can pass block, they can switch stunts, pick up blitzes. When you combine that with Baker Mayfield’s ability to get out of trouble, this is a pain in the ass Buccaneer offense to stop, let me tell you.”

Breaking Down Baker Mayfield, Bucs’ Skill Position Players

If you did not see Jon Gruden sing Baker Mayfield’s praises during his recent sit-down with Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds and Bailey Adams, it is definitely worth your time.

The point has been driven home that Gruden sees Mayfield as a “badass,” but he is also someone who slings the pigskin and plays his heart out on the gridiron.

“You know what I love about Baker Mayfield, [who was a] Pro Bowler under [Dave] Canales and Liam Coen? Gruden rhetorically asks in an energetic tone. “I love his play style. Do you know Baker Mayfield rushed for 378 yards, over 6 yards of carry? This guys a competing badass. Number one in the NFL with 69 [passing] touchdowns the last two seasons. Now he also leads the NFL with 26 interceptions.

“He’s got to take a little bit better care of the ball. I think he knows that. This is the third player ever in football in the history of the league to throw for over 70%, over 4500 yards, and over 40 touchdowns. Joe Burrow did it, Drew Brees did it, and Baker Mayfield did it. That’s how great he has played for the Bucs.”

Gruden noted how Mayfield must take better care of the football. Josh Grizzard and the rest of the offense should not look to tone down the quarterback’s passion and drive to make things happen, but improved decision-making and command of an offense he is used to should help.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“The one thing I think they need to improve on is their turnover ratio. For a division champion being -5 in the turnover margin, that’s not good enough. They got to take better care of the football and create more takeaways.”

After assessing the offensive line and someone who plays with an offensive lineman mentality in Mayfield, Gruden went on to look at the surplus of skill-position talent residing in Tampa Bay, starting at running back.

“In 2022 and 2023, the Bucs were last in rushing 2 years in a row,” Gruden said. “Bucky Irving comes in here. Fourth-round pick out of Oregon. Guess what? Tampa Bay’s in the top five. Bucky Irving, fantasy football owners, is a pick you got to take. This guy’s freaking elusive; he’s a tough, complete badass. Hell of a player. The complimentary back is good too, Rachaad White. He’s one of five guys in the league to have over 600 yards rushing, over 50 catches and more than 9 touchdowns.

“So, they got Irving and Rachaad White with this offensive line. These backs will kill you man. It’s a really impressive crowd. They also have a young guy named Sean Tucker who had over 300 yards rushing and 6.2 yards of carry, so they got a really good running game. They can run inside zone plays, gap schemes, RPOs, they got all kinds of running plays. And Baker Mayfield, he’ll check to a run when it’s a soft box, he’ll check to a pass and rip you if you load the blocks. It is fun to watch football. I’m glad they’re right down the street here.”

Bucs RB Bucky Irving and WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Lastly, the wide receivers. I would want to see the side-by-side of any wide receiver room in the NFL compared to what Baker Mayfield has at his disposal. It is elite, and the most-deep the position has ever been in Bucs’ history.

“The receivers are led by Mike Evans. 11 1000-yard seasons. That’s what Jerry Rice did. That’s the kind of rare air we’re talking about. Watch out for Evans in critical red zone situations, especially at crunch time. They also have Chris Godwin. He was leading the Bucs in receiving. He is something else after the catch. He’s a slot receiver. He’s a physical runner and receiver. They need to get him back. If he’s not ready by week 1, that’s where their first-round pick Emeka Egbuka comes in.

“This guy’s a hell of a football player. Then ask yourself, who is Jalen McMillan? In the last five games, this young receiver, a rookie out of Washington a year ago, had 7 touchdown catches. He led the NFL in the last five games. That is firepower. The running backs and receivers and Cade Otton, their tight end caught 60 passes and was second on the team with 600 yards. So, they got guys that can wheel and deal all over the place. This is one heck of an offense.”

Watch Super Bowl-Winning Head Coach Jon Gruden Preview The 2025 Bucs:

To catch Jon Gruden’s full breakdown of the 2025 Bucs, including his thoughts about each position group on offense and defense and what former NFL quarterback Rich Gannon had to say about quarterback Baker Mayfield, you can watch it below.