Carolina Panthers Request Permission To Interview Buccaneers Wide Receivers Coach
The offseason is just getting started but it's already beginning to get chaotic for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After shocking the NFL by advancing to the Divisional Round of the playoffs, the team will have to replace one of the main pieces to that puzzle with offensive coordinator Dave Canales leaving for Carolina in his first opportunity as a head coach.
That move could lead to further attrition on the coaching staff as Canales explores the opportunity of bringing at least one familiar face with him. According to BucsGameday's JC Allen, the Panthers have requested permission to interview Buccaneers wide receivers coach Brad Idzik for their open offensive coordinator position.
This is noteworthy with Idzik wrapping up his first season in Tampa Bay as the primary reason he joined the franchise was due to his ties to Canales. The two worked together for four seasons in Seattle under former head coach Pete Carroll. At the time, Canales served as quarterbacks coach and passing game coordinator while Idzik worked as an assistant wide receivers coach and offensive quality control/assistant quarterbacks coach.
Idzik began his coaching career as an offensive graduate assistant at Stanford. He held that position for five years before making the leap to the NFL. Receivers have consistently had success under his tutelage as Seattle's Tyler Lockett (100 receptions) and D.K. Metcalf (1,303 receiving yards) each set new single-season franchise records during his tenure with the franchise.
That continued after his move to Tampa Bay in 2023 as Mike Evans put together one of the most prolific seasons of his career. He tied for his second-most touchdown catches (13) while recording his third-most receptions (79) and receiving yards (1,255) in a season. Evans carried that success into the postseason as he caught a season-high eight passes for 147 yards and a touchdown that kept the team within arms reach of defeating Detroit.
There is a clear familiarity between the two and it wouldn't be surprising to see Idzik follow Canales to Carolina. At the same time, the Buccaneers are also interested in potentially elevating the first-year position coach to the offensive coordinator role. That search is growing in names as the franchise has been linked to Kellen Moore, Brian Johnson, Ken Dorsey, and Zac Robinson. Current quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis is a candidate as well.
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