Baker Mayfield expands on going from Liam Coen to Josh Grizzard as OC

This past winter, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers promoted Josh Grizzard from pass game coordinator to offensive coordinator after Liam Coen left to become the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

Quarterback Baker Mayfield is now working with a new offensive coordinator for the third time during his Tampa Bay tenure that began in March 2023. That said, he seems pleased that the Buccaneers didn't make an outside hire following Coen's departure. 

"Griz has his own tweaks on it," Mayfield recently said about how Grizzard has handled the Tampa Bay offense this offseason, as shared by Pete Prisco of CBS Sports. "He's handled it well. Things aren't just going to transfer from one season to the next. Nothing we did last year matters. The foundation is there. We are working on explosive plays and fundamentals in the run game. Josh is still getting used to calling plays. He was instrumental in our third-down install and passing-game stuff last year. So he has experience."

It's understandable that Mayfield would like at least some of the "passing-game stuff" from the 2024 campaign to remain part of Tampa Bay's offense moving forward. According to Pro Football Reference, he ended this past season tied for second in the NFL with 41 passing touchdowns, third with 4,500 passing yards and ranked fourth with a 106.8 passer rating. 

Along with promoting Grizzard, Tampa Bay kept its offensive core together by re-signing wide receiver Chris Godwin in March. The Buccaneers later made Ohio State wideout Emeka Egbuka the 19th overall pick of the 2025 draft. 

"I try not take take it for granted being in the same system since I am so used to learning new offenses," Mayfield added. "Now it's just about the details. We have a great group. We have everybody back and added some pieces in the skill group. That makes it easier. ...[Egbuka] has a natural feel to his route running. He has a good feel of getting to the right spots in zone. He's extremely smart. His head was never spinning. He was getting other guys lined up. He's polished."

Mayfield acknowledged last offseason that he felt "like a piece of dirty laundry" after he was discarded by the Cleveland Browns and Carolina Panthers in 2022. He now believes he's the "best version" of himself with Tampa Bay, but Grizzard likely hopes he can get even more out of the 30-year-old beginning in September.