Tampa Bay Buccaneers given massive 2025 prediction

Despite being overlooked in past years, it appears as though some national writers are finally coming around on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers being legitimate contenders in 2025.

Dec 22, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) walks off the field after the game against the Dallas Cowboys at AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images | Tim Heitman-Imagn Images

Have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers finally arrived?

That, of course, depends on who you ask. But according to Sports Illustrated, they certainly have.

READ MORE: Buccaneers All-Pro Antoine Winfield Jr. dealing with injury

Each year, Sports Illustrated predicts the outcome of all 272 NFL regular season games. This year, the pre-season prediction article, which is written by Senior Writer Connor Orr, provides a very positive outlook for the Bucs.

Sports Illustrated gives huge 2025 season prediction for Bucs

Not only does the article predict the Buccaneers to go 12-5 while winning the NFC South Division in 2025, but it has Tampa Bay finishing the regular season as the number one seed in the NFC. The 12-5 record, according to this prediction, would tie the Bills and Ravens for the best regular season records in the entire league.

Connor Orr — who Bucs' GM Jason Licht infamously confronted about predicting a 2-win season for Tampa Bay ahead of the 2023 season — was the author tasked with the arduous challenge of predicting each NFL game.

.@jasonrlicht standing on business 🫡 pic.twitter.com/lqDkzNU9gm

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) March 1, 2024

This year, Orr was not going to allow himself to make the same mistake he did two seasons ago when he drastically underrated the Buccaneers.

Orr expects the Bucs to upset some of the NFL's best teams this year en route to their number one playoff seed in the NFC, including regular season victories over the Eagles, Lions, and Bills.

Although Orr didn't reference his infamous encounter with the Buccaneers' GM in his analysis, he did explain his rationale for being so high on the Bucs going into this season.

"This may be surprising that I have the Buccaneers ending up with the No. 1 seed in the NFC, but not when you look at the schedule as a whole." Orr wrote. "There are some really long stretches of time without something we would consider a quality opponent—especially down the stretch. But I also have Tampa Bay logging some big wins against legitimate contenders, just like it did a season ago—Philadelphia, Detroit and Buffalo all go down at the hands of this sneaky deep roster."

Jan 12, 2025; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) celebrates after a touchdown catch with tight end Cade Otton (88) during the second quarter of a NFC wild card playoff against the Washington Commanders at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images | Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images

Jason Licht has openly admitted to keeping receipts. His interaction with Connor Orr following the 2023 season shows just how much the Bucs' GM enjoys being slept on by analysts and prognosticators. Unfortunately for Licht, it looks like he'll have one less receipt to post in his office this year since his team has managed to turn another national writer from a doubter into a believer.

READ MORE: Buccaneers' Baker Mayfield lands outside of top 10 in latest QB tier rankings

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

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