Despite an elite line and explosive playmakers, there is still plenty of doubt over the potential of Tampa's offense.
On paper, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense looks like it has the potential to be very good this season.
Baker Mayfield is a franchise quarterback. He has always played his best when he has a chip on his shoulder, and that chip has never been bigger than it is this year.
Tampa's offensive line should be not only one of the league's best, but it may also be one of the best groups in the NFL at any position.
Mayfield has a terrific group of wide receivers to throw to. He has publicly expressed confidence in the group and has discussed what each of his top WRs brings to the table.
Kenneth Gainwell was brought in as a free agent to pair with Bucky Irving, giving the Bucs one of the most dynamic running back duos in the NFL. Both are explosive playmakers as either runners or receivers.
The team also hired Zac Robinson as its new offensive coordinator, replacing Josh Grizzard, who only lasted one season as OC. Robinson's system is very similar to former OC Liam Coen's offense. With Coen running the offense in 2024, Mayfield had the best season of his career, and Tampa had the NFL's fourth-best rushing attack.
Despite being loaded with talent at each position, there is still significant doubt over whether Tampa's offense will be able to play up to its potential.
Michael Middlehurst-Schwartz of USA Today ranked the offenses of every NFL team, and the Bucs surprisingly were only ranked 20th.
Injury Concerns, Mayfield's Consistency Are Issues
Middlehurst-Schwartz worries that Mayfield's "turbulence" and injuries suffered by WRs Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan, which have brought their availability for Week 1 into question, are reasons for concern.
"It should come as no surprise that an offense now on its fifth coordinator in five years carries a good deal of volatility into the season. But with Baker Mayfield at quarterback, turbulence is a feature rather than a bug. The chief concern for Tampa Bay, however, is not so much the variance in Mayfield's play over the course of the season but rather whether its skill-position support might wilt. The outlook for the post-Mike Evans receiving corps remains cloudy amid persisting injury issues for Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan, and a ground game that collapsed after Liam Coen's departure needs to be rebuilt. Along with Zac Robinson's increased dose of wide-zone runs, a stellar starting offensive line that looks healthy after last year's setbacks could provide considerable help on the latter front. But this might be a unit that still tops out in somewhere around the middle of the pack."
Concern over Tampa's offense seems misguided. The rushing attack should be much better with the additions of Gainwell and Robinson. The offensive line is expected to be one of the top units in the NFL, and the Bucs' receivers are both young and talented.
Last year's offensive struggles were largely the result of injury. Mayfield played through several injuries throughout the season. His top three receivers from 2024, Evans, Chris Godwin Jr., and McMillan, all missed significant time with various ailments. The offensive line was also hit by the injury bug, with four of the five starters missing at least five games.
Final Thoughts
As long as the Bucs' offense can remain healthier than it was a year ago, which shouldn't be hard, the talent is there for it to be one of the better ones in the league. Claiming its ceiling is only middle-of-the-pack doesn't match the offense's talent.
It's more likely that the middle is the offense's floor, not its ceiling.
Mayfield believes the Bucs will "shock a lot of people" this season and prove their doubters wrong.
Expect the Bucs' offense to finish the year ranked much higher than 20th.
