Why Todd Bowles isn't worried about Buccaneers again having a new offensive coordinator

For the third time in his Tampa Bay Buccaneers tenure that began in March 2023, quarterback Baker Mayfield will have a new offensive coordinator after Liam Coen left the organization to become the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars this past winter.

While speaking with reporters at the NFL owners meetings this week, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles explained why he believes some change won't negatively impact his offense after the club promoted Josh Grizzard to the role of OC. Grizzard previously spent one season as Tampa Bay's pass game coordinator.

"You have to tweak some things because if you do exactly what you did last year, everybody watches tape and they’re going to catch up," Bowles said, as shared by the JoeBucsFan website. "It’ll be interesting to see the wrinkles [Grizzard] puts in and how we adjust and how the coaches interact in practice – that’ll be a whole new thing with Liam gone. When you have another guy running the entire thing, even though everyone else is the same, it’s different. The continuity is going to be big for them to build throughout the spring."

It's a benefit to the Buccaneers that Mayfield is no stranger to change. Sporting News' Teddy Ricketson noted back in January before Tampa Bay promoted Grizzard that Mayfield played under a total of eight head coaches and six coordinators from 2018 through this past season. 

Additionally, the tradition of the Buccaneers largely keeping the band together continued this offseason. The club re-signed fan-favorite wide receiver Chris Godwin after it appeared he could leave via free agency. Future Hall of Fame receiver Mike Evans and running back Mar'Keise "Bucky" Irving, the team's leading rusher from the 2024 campaign, are also still with the club. 

Per Pro Football Reference, Mayfield ended the 2024 regular season ranked fourth in the NFL among qualified players with a 106.8 passer rating, third with 4,500 passing yards and tied for second with 41 touchdowns through the air. One would think Bowles and Grizzard won't want to make too many tweaks to the offense from springtime workouts through the end of the preseason, considering the numbers Mayfield produced in Coen's system.