BSPN: Josh Grizzard May Be Doing Too Good Of A Job
October 11th, 2025
“What do you think ‘Bake?’ Could I fix Tua?”
At the very least, Bucs offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard is getting serious on-the-job training.
Baker Mayfield is having an MVP season. And the Bucs are putting up decent numbers on offense, highlighted by the recent 38-point output clear across the country in Seattle, which not only has a good defense but it’s a tough place to play.
Jeremy Fowler of ESPN has a hunch the way Grizzard has helped Mayfield reach the top of his game along with the Bucs offense having to constantly adjust personnel due to being ravaged by injuries, Grizzard may become a popular name this year when the coaching carousel begins spinning.
It’s also worth noting that the Tampa Bay offensive pipeline is pipelining again. Josh Grizzard has taken over, and the Buccaneers’ offense hasn’t missed a beat. It still ranks high in most offensive categories despite a rash of injuries, and quarterback Baker Mayfield is still dealing. Todd Bowles’ previous two coordinator picks — Dave Canales (Carolina) and Liam Coen (Jacksonville) — have moved into head coaching jobs, and Grizzard has three months to show that he belongs in that group. But the early returns are good for the former Yale football captain, a status that will intrigue some owners.
Well, this would fit a pattern. As Fowler noted, the last two Bucs offensive coordinators left after one year to become a head coach. Nearly every high-ranking assistant desires to become a head coach somewhere at some time.
Bowles has had a different offensive coordinator in each of his Bucs seasons. Knothead Byron Leftwich was booted for rank incompetence. Then came Dave Canales and Liam Coen, respectively, for a one-year hot cup of coffee.
Would it surprise Joe if Grizzard left to become a head coach after this season? No. NFL owners love offensive coaches. They develop quarterbacks and offenses sell tickets.
So there’s the double-edged sword of winning. The better the offense is and the more the Bucs win, the better the odds some team comes in and swoops up Grizzard.
It’s the cost of doing business in the NFL. Have a powerful offense and other teams will want to pluck your coaches.
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October 11th, 2025 at 8:11 am
No disrespect to Grizzard, but he doesn’t have the charisma of Canales and Liam. Maybe that will help keep him in Tampa.
October 11th, 2025 at 8:21 am
I know Baker is used to a different OC seemingly every season, but if Licht and Glazers feel that BM6 is our franchise QB, then it is time to lock up the OC even if that means promotion to HC.
Todd is close to retirement, plus we could then have a dedicated DC. Heck, give Todd an Arians type role in the organization.
Extend Baker and don’t let Grizzard leave!
October 11th, 2025 at 8:23 am
this offense should be way better in a month or 2…
have you heard Grizz with the players? natural born coach, a teacher with authority but I think he would stay 1 more year w Baker to try and get a ring… i hope he would
October 11th, 2025 at 8:25 am
Listening to GRIZZARD speaking at Bucs press conferences demonstrates his intelligence. His play calling has been very impressive giving the number of injured offensive players and Baker Mayfield’s insane performance with key players missing.
I see him as better than Dave Conales and rivaling Coen play calling. To me he is a keeper, so Janson and owners somehow need to find a way to retain him as a future OC.
October 11th, 2025 at 8:35 am
Now, if we could just land a good DC. I think Bowles is a good HC, but the Bucs’ 4-1 record is not because of our stellar defense. The defense is good at stopping the run, but unfortunately the NFL consists of both running and passing. Bowles’ defense sucks at defending the pass. Even when the DBs were all healthy, the scheme just didn’t get it done. If we had a decent defense, Baker wouldn’t have to will us to victory the last minute of every game. Todd, please, let someone else give it a shot. Bing in a DC and you stick to being the HC.
I know it’s not going to happen. Just venting!
October 11th, 2025 at 8:39 am
And another thing. It always boggles my mind when the game announcers refer to Todd Bowles’ defenses being so strong or Bowles being a defensive mastermind. Have they really looked at the stats? Good QBs pick them apart in the passing game. His defenses are good at one thing – stopping the run! Period.
October 11th, 2025 at 8:47 am
@Joes
Id appreciate if ya’ll wouldn’t connect me in any way to Leftwich.
I had nothing to do with Giant Gary Coleman’s flame out.
Lolll!
October 11th, 2025 at 8:47 am
Next hc of the aints. The entire nfc south will be coached by former bucs coordinators.
October 11th, 2025 at 8:48 am
Baker has 9 turnover worthy throws. He’s playing very risky and getting very lucky. The wheels fall of the bus this Sunday. SF 24 Bucs 17. Baker throws 2 picks. One to Fred Warner.
October 11th, 2025 at 8:50 am
Folks need to look deeper behind the scenes here. When you have mentors like Bruce Arians and Tom Moore helping these young guns it helps a lot. Also Jason and his bunch bringing in talent, is all part of the equation. They even polished a turd and made Bowels look decent… kinda.
October 11th, 2025 at 8:59 am
I really hope we don’t lose another offensive coordinator to head coach. It would be nice to have some consistency with the offense and keep a coach passed a year mark.
October 11th, 2025 at 8:59 am
Unfortunately Joe this most likely will happen or who knows maybe bowels is done after this year if we keep winning prob not but griz could become the next Bucs head coach or they should at least try to persuade grizz like that. Dudes super young. All this talk about baker n the MVP award and EE with the rook of the year and grizz as a HC is way way way to soon. We have a lot of games left. Seasons too early to be talking like this lol
October 11th, 2025 at 9:00 am
I’m not a Bowles hater. But we can’t let Grizz go. Period.
My wish is since Bowles has mention retirement in previous years to win the Super Bowl this year. Then he might retire or we could force him to by offering Grizz the HC job.
I like Bowles and really wish him a Super Bowl win. It would be the perfect way to retire.
Let’s Go!!!!
October 11th, 2025 at 9:00 am
If he became head coach of the Bucs for the 2926 season that would suit me just fine. Whatever it takes to move ob from the worse defensive coordinator in the league.
October 11th, 2025 at 9:00 am
Hey Jeff, I hate feeding trolls, but how many did he throw last week? Thats right, ZERO!
October 11th, 2025 at 9:01 am
I thought it was too soon for a head job for both Coen and Canales, and was wrong both times. So yes, I guess it could happen.
But Grizz needs to find a way to get the running game going.
October 11th, 2025 at 9:02 am
2026 season. (I never could get used to typing on a tablet)
October 11th, 2025 at 9:04 am
Allen Lofton … ‘To me he is a keeper, so Janson and owners somehow need to find a way to retain him as a future OC.’
I seriously doubt that the Bucs could keep him as our OC if another team made him a HC offer, UNLESS Grizz himself just wanted to stay here for another year. When other NFL teams want a particular coach, they’ll make an money offer that the Bucs wouldn’t match. At that point it’d be up to Grizz whether or not he wants to take that road. Personally I’d expect to lose him if ‘an offer you just can’t refuse’ came along.
We’ve had 3 different OCs in the past 3 years admittedly, but I think it’s more valuable to focus on ‘the constants’. And first & foremost there is Baker Mayfield. I’m convinced that Baker operates more like a ‘coach on the field’ than even Tom Brady did. Baker always seems to have dozens of ‘options’ at his fingertips, and he’s a master at spreading the ball around and keeping the defense guessing. Without him, neither Canales nor Coen would be HCs today.
But I also believe that folks don’t give Todd Bowles enough credit for what this offense has achieved. The general ‘philosophy’ changed from what Bruce Arians orchestrated to the offensive ‘philosophy’ we see today.
Bucs underwent a MAJOR transition when Bowles took over after the 2021 season, but even that didn’t kick into high gear until after the 2022 season when we brought in Mayfield, apparently after Todd’s hounding. I see only 14 players on our current roster (and IR) who were on the 2022 roster, and far fewer (8) who were on our 2021 roster. That’s a major rebuilding IMO, and that’s what’s formed the basis of this current team.
October 11th, 2025 at 9:14 am
The Todd Bowles offensive coaching tree is more impressive than his defensive coaching tree. Baker should be getting kickbacks from the coaches he’s helping get HC gigs.
October 11th, 2025 at 9:24 am
Well, you’d have to be kind of an idiot to really mess up an offense loaded with Baker mayfield, Mike Evans, etc
It was even better last year than the year before. Is Coen a super genius or is it because we added Graham Barton and Bucky irving, and Baker improved? He’s doing well in Jacksonville but that team was pretty talented already and had a really good draft this past year. They were loading up on talent for a while and I bet Coen saw that when he went into that situation. Canales went to Carolina and they haven’t really won. If a really good coach goes to a team with minimal talent, he will not win. Tom Brady doesn’t win a super bowl if he goes to the Jets or Cleveland instead of Tampa bay. And our staff has done a great job drafting… the talent level stayed pretty high with the Bucs, so I think our players make a lot of these OCs look really good. IMO it’s all due to drafting high character, football loving, intelligent and productive football players. Also, the position coaches below him have been around for a while and probably don’t hurt in helping him look good. Where I’m impressed the most with Griz is the fact he has to change his game planning constantly due to injuries. So I definitely give him and other offensive coaches (especially o line) some kudos there and I also hope him being so young, he sticks around for a while and gets used to being an OC for a few years first.
October 11th, 2025 at 9:29 am
I don’t think Grizz is leaving after this season. Besides, we’re only a third of the way through it. Shake my head at the comments on here. Some real fruit loops posing as fans. Yeah, right. Just win Bucs tomorrow. 5-1!!
October 11th, 2025 at 9:46 am
If we somehow miss the playoffs or go one-and-done again, and we have ANY indication Grizzard is getting offers, I think we need to pull the trigger on Bowles and elevate Grizzard.
October 11th, 2025 at 9:48 am
Well, some offensive coordinators don’t want to be thrusted into a head coaching gig immediately. Hopefully, with continued and long success the Glazers will put a stop to the revolving door that’s called the Buccaneers. A hefty raise before teams start to approach might be the answer to longevity with us. Long live our advancement and lock him in to a lucrative contract.
October 11th, 2025 at 9:57 am
Knothead huh? I seem to remember Bucs winning a little game called the Super bowl with the aforementioned knothead as OC and having one of the highest ranked offenses in 2021 with same knothead as OC. Pretty harsh words unnecessarily acidic and inaccurate.
October 11th, 2025 at 10:01 am
Any chance Baker helped the other two get H/C jobs!
October 11th, 2025 at 10:08 am
New Moniker for Baker
Baker the Head Coach Maker!!!
October 11th, 2025 at 10:13 am
Not the least bit worried about it. Once grizz adds the long ball as a regular component of the offense there won’t be much to change going forward for years to come (just adjustments to circumstances). Any New OC will have the following directions implied – don’t change much and stay within what Baker wants.
The OC hasn’t changed as much as people think the last Baker years. He indirectly gives the guidelines and if he vetos an OC prospect that person is not getting the job. He is either co OC or junior OC and he’s qualified after working under so many different playbooks.
October 11th, 2025 at 10:14 am
I still have no doubt that Canales is going to bomb. He was a vastly overrated.
I also think this never-ending carousel of OCs & DCs is ridiculous. It should be a minimum 2-3 year contract before they can bolt and take over some horrendous team that’s desperate.
October 11th, 2025 at 10:19 am
If this continues I’m hoping team glazer will throw top tier money at him and keep him around another year. Wishful thinking? Probably. And for all we know Grizz will want to come back next year. who knows, either option wouldn’t surprise me.
October 11th, 2025 at 10:22 am
Coen has charisma? What world do you live in? His trust factor is very low. Had a lot of luck so far.
October 11th, 2025 at 10:24 am
Whelp. No one is clamoring to hire the Bucs defensive coordinator away to become their head coach, sadly.
Jason and the Glazernauts can do something about this now. Make him the heir apparent when Jason and the Gs have seen enough of opposing first drive TDs, 4th quarter collapses, end of game scoring drives by QB Doofus Drooler, and 35 ppg allowed.
October 11th, 2025 at 10:35 am
Those dreaming of replacing Bowles with Grizzard may have forgotten that Bowles and Licht were just given three year extensions and Bowles’ contract is now through the end of the 2028 season.
October 11th, 2025 at 10:43 am
Ridiculous to talk about post season staff changes in Week 5.
October 11th, 2025 at 11:14 am
🙂
October 11th, 2025 at 11:22 am
The Ivy-Leaguer has already proven himself…especially with the multiple injuries.
The one constant for all 3 has been Baker:The King Maker. He’s saved Bowles job along the way as well.
October 11th, 2025 at 11:37 am
What if…….Todd recognized the real flaws in his defense, the lack of up-coaching during practice especially when close to the opposing QB, and situational football. Maybe the Bucs would be legit.
Instead, he proclaimed a “fix” he’d discovered through watching film of last seasons weekly horror shows. LOL. Same Tdod, same defense, nothing has changed or will change as long as he’s the smartest guy in the building.
October 11th, 2025 at 11:40 am
This is why it is dumb to have a defensive Head Coach nowadays.
An great offensive HC is way better for longterm stability and success.
October 11th, 2025 at 11:41 am
Buddha Says:
October 11th, 2025 at 10:22 am
Coen has charisma? What world do you live in? His trust factor is very low. Had a lot of luck so far.
Duuuvalll 🦗 🦗 ?! Charisma is subjective. 🙂 I agree it’s early for Coen and Can-do Canales hasn’t done much yet either…but he does have charisma with the ladies. Until he had to co-author a tell-all with his wife as punishment for carousing. ( I’m still surprised that embarrassing fact gets such little play in the media…social and otherwise ).
October 11th, 2025 at 11:53 am
If Gizzard leaves it wouldn’t be a stretch to see the Bucs hire Mcdaniel for OC once he gets fired from the Dolphins. It would be years before he gets another shot at a HC job.
October 11th, 2025 at 11:55 am
And to think Todd Monken turned the OC job down because he wanted to go to a where he’d have a better shot at eventually becoming a HC.
October 11th, 2025 at 11:56 am
go to a **team** where he’d have a better shot at eventually becoming a HC.
October 11th, 2025 at 12:16 pm
Erik … ‘This is why it is dumb to have a defensive Head Coach nowadays. An great offensive HC is way better for longterm stability and success.’
I personally don’t like dual-hatting offensive OR defense coordinators as Head Coach. Have long believed that you can’t effectively serve TWO masters. There’s only 168 hours in a week, and no matter who you are, you can’t work for all 168 of them. One role almost always gets short-changed.
Bruce Arians understood that when he came here, and only served as the HC. I never saw him calling any offensive plays for Leftwich or even over-riding him on play-calls. And when it came to Todd Bowles, BA never even seemed to talk to him on the sidelines; I’m 100% convinced that Todd had complete autonomy with the defense. I still look on BA as ‘The Visionary’ and Lefty & Todd as ‘The Implementers’.
Also convinced though that when Todd Bowles was offered the HC position here, he insisted on remaining the DC. Why? Because that’s where his first love is, and he can’t give it up. I personally wish that he would, as long as there’s some defensive mastermind out there who could take his place. I really liked Robert Saleh as a DC & thought that Bucs might hire him when the Jets fired him as HC last year. But no, he went back to San Fran as DC.
October 11th, 2025 at 12:28 pm
He’s gonna leave and we will be stuck with the same sorry defense that makes people look like all-stars and have their best games.
October 11th, 2025 at 1:03 pm
There will be an offer for griz, Baker is lights out so far. OH. if you havent watched, nick wrights “mahommes mountain” ,give it a look. Baker is on top
October 11th, 2025 at 1:09 pm
Darengibo, apparently you learned nothing from the promotion of Rah
October 11th, 2025 at 1:15 pm
Joe says; Knothead Byron Leftwich was booted for rank incompetence.
^^^^^
Let’s not forget that BA among others touted Knothead’s intelligence and football knowledge and declared him to be a future head coach.
With all that and his experience as an NFL QB going for him, why has he disappeared from football all together ? I have my suspicions. I hope the Glazers put their foot down and make certain a path for Bowle’s successor is in place and and guaranteed. It is time for that UGLY era of betrayal, mutiny and ego to be relegated to the dust bin of history. It is time during this 50 year anniversary for the future to be forged. All things considered the Glazers and Jason have navigated that debacle very well in my opinion. But until Bowles and BA are gone the memory lingers.
October 11th, 2025 at 1:21 pm
Joe Says:
October 11th, 2025 at 11:14 am
Id appreciate if ya’ll wouldn’t connect me in any way to Leftwich.
🙂
^^^^^
So, is that a tacit admission that perhaps all the ugly speculation was at least somewhat accurate ?
October 11th, 2025 at 1:46 pm
“I want to be part of the game,” Arians said. “When you’re doing games, you do a lot of traveling — good, bad, indifferent. You’re in the locker room, you’re doing production meetings with players and coaches. In a studio, you get a broader perspective, maybe you can tell more stories. I’m probably a better storyteller.”
“I loved it,” Arians said. “I went down and moms are crying, and I’m interviewing the moms on the field. I said, ‘You guys get paid to do this s—? This is fun.’ It’s always been in the back of my mind.”
^^^^
With all of BA’s credentials and his desire’s, I find it strange (not really) that he doesn’t have a big gig with the media.
OH ! I forgot to mention that Leftwich is now an assistant coach working for Neon at Colorado. Scraping the bottom aren’t you Byron ?
October 11th, 2025 at 2:24 pm
‘an offer you just can’t refuse’
I think D.R.’s description captures the fear in this group.
Bottom line then is WHAT Griz can refuse?
I think a WHOLE lot more than his two predecessors! Coen in particular had bounced around from NFL to College and was getting a little older. He wasn’t able to be as selective as Griz. Although I think his move to Jax and the reemergnece of Trevor was a smart move, desperate or not.
Canales was a young dude who had ONE good season so he jumped at a really bad job, Carolina. Maybe he’ll make something of it. But again horrible ownership.
Griz OTOH is working for an ownership group widely thought of as one of the very best in the league. He’s working in a culture also…”best in the league” candidate. He is a BABY 35 years old. Obviously I’m biased since that’s less than half my age…LMAO…but Coen is five years older.
IF the Bucs continue their winning ways they’ll reach the post season and thus by definition SB contenders. Get in the big show and anything can happen, recall the Bucs won their last SB without winning their “horrible” Division!!!
So for Griz it’ll come down to money and opportunityi. I think Griz trusts this organization and Jason. A handshake deal to make him next in line when Todd leaves is not out of the question.
But along with that handshake needs to be some major $$$ in the Bucs palm extended to Griz. Just give him an incentive laden contract that enables him to earn a ton if the offense succeeds.
Then it gets down to CONFIDENCE!!! Do we believe Griz has enough confidence and belief in his ability that he KNOWS he’s going to be an HC sooner or later?
Perfect scenario….Bucs win a 3rd SB in the next couple of years guaranteeing a Bowles retirement on HIS terms.
October 11th, 2025 at 2:25 pm
Grizz is showing he was the right pick…. Good job by Todd picking him and preparing him for any/all “situations” we might face, and for building and maintaining a culture that sticks together and play for each other no matter what.
October 11th, 2025 at 2:57 pm
he would take offer right now i bet. just in case we are 5-4 down the road or whatever
October 11th, 2025 at 3:23 pm
Best strategy is win the Super Bowl and hope teams are scared off cause they don’t want to wait for Grizz😂😂😂
October 11th, 2025 at 3:23 pm
Bingo!
October 11th, 2025 at 4:04 pm
It’s almost time for the Bucs to follow the Rams model of success and hire a young head coach. It’s time to move on from the old establishment. The older “experienced” coaches excepting a few have let us down. Special teams…linebackers…pass rushers…
Where would we be without Lavonte ? I hope we lock up Grizz now and develop him and give him a good shot at success. We have the player talent and front office to support him. We no longer need to fall victim to desperation and pick up scraps. Pete Carroll seems to be working miracles in Raider land, maybe not.
October 11th, 2025 at 6:37 pm
Call me crazy but I sense a bit of wisdom from Grizzard, I don’t see him jumping ship for a panthers quality team. I think he knows he has a good thing going in Tampa and may ride it out to become the next head coach after Todd. Or at least that would be nice. Todd is a decent head coach but he’s in his 60’s and is leaning towards retirement age
October 11th, 2025 at 8:27 pm
I had the opportunity to drive past Lizard Lick NC, today, home of Grizzard