Bucs Gameday

Buccaneers can leap back into playoffs in 2025

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have the tools to remain a postseason team.

Jeremy Brener

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan leaps into the end zone for a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan leaps into the end zone for a touchdown against the Carolina Panthers. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are hoping to win their fifth straight division crown this upcoming season, but the longer the team has to defend its title, the harder it becomes.

The NFC South isn't the strongest division in the NFL, but the teams challenging the Bucs are improving, making it a tougher task for Tampa.

Bleacher Report writer Brad Gagnon lays out how the Bucs can make the playoffs again for the 2025 season.

READ MORE: Bucs RB says team is ‘starving’ entering 2025 season

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield warms up before a game against the Atlanta Falcons
Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield warms up before a game against the Atlanta Falcons. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

READ MORE: 3 biggest takeaways from Day 2 of Buccaneers mandatory minicamp

Bucs can make playoffs once again

"Seeing as this division is unlikely to get any wild-card spots, and with Penix and Young possibly coming up for Atlanta and Carolina, the Bucs probably need more from Baker Mayfield now than they got in 2024," Gagnon wrote.

The Atlanta Falcons are making a push for the postseason, and with Penix under center for an entire season, there is a lot of potential for them to make that leap. The Bucs lost to them in both meetings last season, and if the Falcons remain close, those games could play a real role in the outcome of the division.

As for the Panthers, they may have been the league's worst team in 2023, but strides were made in 2024. If they can carry that momentum into the 2025 season, the Bucs may not be able to keep up.

The New Orleans Saints shouldn't be a team contending in 2025, but beating them in each meeting will be critical to keeping pace in the NFC South and playoff races.

READ MORE: Buccaneers edge rusher Haason Reddick getting national buzz for 2025

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2025 offseason.

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• NFL positional rankings include promising outlook for Buccaneers' starter

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several On SI sites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid and resides in Central Florida. He graduated from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

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