It felt like déjà vu during the 2025 Pro Bowl Games practice at Camping World Stadium on Saturday afternoon. It was almost a year ago to the day that Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield and left tackle Tristan Wirfs reacted to the news of offensive coordinator Liam Coen being hired that morning.

With Coen’s departure, Mayfield, Wirfs, and wide receiver Mike Evans reacted to the team announcing on Friday afternoon that pass game coordinator Josh Grizzard would be his successor. They had plenty to say about the guy now tasked with calling plays next season.

Baker Mayfield On Josh Grizzard: “I Know He’s Going To Be A Good Play-Caller”

Bucs pass game coordinator Josh Grizzard – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Another year, another offensive coordinator for Baker Mayfield. Mayfield has not had stability when it comes to who his play-caller has been throughout his NFL career, but hopefully, for his and the Bucs’ sake, that ends with the hiring of Josh Grizzard.

Fans of the team may not know too much about the man who was promoted from pass game coordinator, as he held just one press conference before the season started along with the other assistant coaches. Tampa Bay’s quarterback took the time to fill in the blanks when it comes to what kind of guy Grizzard is behind closed doors.

“Grizz is a great guy, unbelievably smart,” Mayfield said Saturday afternoon before the NFC team’s Pro Bowl practice. “He was in Miami for seven years, but they kept him through a bunch of different staff changes, which shows his football knowledge. Also for him, [he has] the versatility of being in a bunch of different systems. Extremely smart guy, and us keeping [Kevin] Carberry and Brian Picucci is huge. It starts with the run game and those guys up front, and everything else, you can make it work after that. I’m excited for Grizz.”

Mayfield’s comments echo head coach Todd Bowles’ statement about Grizzard. The Yale graduate boasts a strong football intelligence that has already been on display as he was in charge of the team’s third-down offense last year.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield – Photo by: USA Today

The result?

The Bucs finished first in the league on third downs with a 51.1% conversion rate.

“Grizz was our third-down guy,” Mayfield added. “He was a huge part of those installations and what we were trying to do on third downs. How to draw things up for Mike [Evans] and Chris [Godwin], how to move them around. How to get Bucky [Irving] involved as the season went on and just different things like that. Cade [Otton], the weeks he stepped up when those guys [went] down.

“There’s so much that goes into that game-planning and [with] formations, and Grizz was a huge part of that. That’s why I’m excited. He’s a guy that didn’t get a lot of credit behind the scenes last year, but now he’ll be at the forefront of it.”

For all of the promise Grizzard has shown, there is one knock on him when it comes to his NFL coaching experience.

He has not called plays before.

Mayfield is not worried, though. In fact, he pointed to the fact Dave Canales did not call plays before coming to Tampa Bay, either. It seemed to work out pretty well for Canales, as it catapulted him to become the head coach of the Panthers.

“It was like Dave,” Mayfield said about having another play-caller with no experience doing so. “Dave hadn’t called plays until [Tampa Bay], but you get used to it. How involved Grizz was – we were in every meeting together and how involved he was in the game plan and whatnot, I know he’s going to be a good play-caller. You can just sense that already.”

Mike Evans: “Whoever They Choose To Hire, It’s My Job To Get Open”

Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: USA Today

The one new offensive addition at the 2025 Pro Bowl Games for the Bucs was wide receiver Mike Evans, who joined Baker Mayfield and Tristan Wirfs as an injury replacement for the festivities. Evans also commented on the hiring of Josh Grizzard and does not believe things will be any different.

Rather, under Grizzard’s direction, they can continue to build off this past season.

“Pretty much the same I feel like,” Evans said about life after Liam Coen. “We got Josh, it’s going to be the same offense pretty much, and just try to add some new wrinkles and expand on what we did last year.”

Like Mayfield, Evans has seen a lot during his Hall of Fame career in Tampa Bay. Different quarterbacks, coaches, and players around him. That makes him unfazed when it comes to who is calling plays.

“I’ve never really cared about it,” Evans added. “Whoever they choose to hire, it’s my job to get open and make plays for our team.”

As long as M1K3 gets the ball as he looks to have a record-setting 12th consecutive season with 1,000 receiving yards next season, his relationship with Grizzard will be just peachy.

Bucs pass game coordinator Josh Grizzard – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“Me and Josh, we’re cool,” Evans said with a coy smile. “I hope I get the ball a lot this year. I like Josh, I think it’s a good hire, and we’re going to try to make it work as best as we can.”

While the Bucs finished with the fourth-highest-scoring offense in the league in 2024, they want to be the best – and hope this move gets them there. It’s easy to see a path to him becoming the next great offensive coordinator.

“It’s going to be similar to what we’ve run,” Evans said about what Grizzard can bring to the entire offense. “We’re just trying to get it to that best in the league level. We were really good last year, one of the top in the league, but we’re trying to be the best offense in the league. I think Josh can help us get there.”

Left tackle Tristan Wirfs briefly chimed in after practice, saying that the team could not have made a better move.

“Grizz is a wizard,” Wirfs said. “He’s been with McDaniel in Miami, similar-style offense. Like I said, he knows it like the back of his hand. We all know Grizz, we all love Grizz so it made sense. It’s perfect. We’re all excited about it.”