Jon Gruden drops bold take on Buccaneers’ 2025 season

Tampa Bay's former coach thinks it can go as far as anyone.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Jon Gruden raises the Vince Lombardi Trophy next to owner Malcolm Glazer. | MPS-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been chasing Super Bowl glory since they won it in 2020 for the second time. The first time, they won it with head coach Jon Gruden in 2002, and he seems confident that the Buccaneers can do it again this upcoming season.

Gruden recently appeared on former Bucs quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick and former Bengals and Rams offensive lineman Andrew Whitworth's podcast, Fitz & Whit, and he was asked which teams he's looking out for in 2025. He not only mentioned the Bucs first as one of those teams, but he made a pretty bold claim — he could see them lifting the Lombardi Trophy.

"I think Tampa Bay's already proven they can win the South," Gruden said. "I think they can be a Super Bowl contender, and I know Todd Bowles is a pain in the ass to go against. He can do a great job with multiple blitzes and fronts and coverages... if they can get a few defensive players, I think Tampa Bay could be really good."

The Bucs have certainly gotten some defensive players. They recently made a small splash by signing edge rusher Haason Reddick in free agency one a one-year, $14 million contract, and they also brought in other defensive players like cornerback Kindle Vildor and linebacker Anthony Walker. The team will almost certainly continue to add to the defensive core in the draft, too, potentially picking up another off-ball linebacker or cornerback.

Todd Bowles has a big season coming up, looking to win another playoff game since he did in 2023, and if he can win one, Jon Gruden thinks he might be able to win the rest, too.

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