Tampa Bay Buccaneers have second-best odds to win it all in 2022
Less than two months ago, the future was a bit of an unknown for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Star quarterback Tom Brady elected to step away from the game and with his loss, it seemed like multiple free agents such as Ryan Jensen and Leonard Fournette might look for other opportunities. Add in that stalwart guard Ali Marpet retired at 28 and it was clear the Buccaneers were staring at a precarious situation.
Since then, the script has flipped. Brady has decided to unretire and in the wake of the move, the franchise has been beefing up for another championship. Tampa Bay has retained the majority of its priority free agents while also adding additional talent like guard Shaq Mason (via trade), wide receiver Russell Gage (via free agency), and safety Logan Ryan (via free agency).
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There was definitely a shock wave that reverberated throughout the franchise when head coach Bruce Arians decided to step down and move to a role in the front office. However, with defensive coordinator Todd Bowles elevated in his place and offensive coordinator Byron Leftwich back, it's expected to be a mostly seamless transition. Bowles and Leftwich have both been on staff since Arians was originally hired back in 2019.
Heading into the NFL Draft, Tampa Bay is primed for another run at a super bowl. The franchise is just two years removed from a title and lost to the eventual champions, the Los Angeles Rams, in the Divisional Round in January.
The Buccaneers are an early super bowl favorite according to recently released betting odds from FanDuel. The only team with higher odds to come away as champions at this time are the Buffalo Bills (+650). Tampa Bay has the highest odds (+700) to win the NFC by a decent margin, with the Los Angeles Rams (+1100) and Green Bay Packers (+1100) tied for second in the conference.
Maybe the biggest surprise of the list is a team that isn't listed in the top five, the Cincinnati Bengals. In fact, the franchise that finished as the runner-up to the Rams was given the 12th best odds to return to the super bowl. That includes the seventh-best odds in the AFC and third-best odds in their own division behind Cleveland and Baltimore.
Regardless, it would certainly be exciting to see Tampa Bay and Buffalo match up with a chance to win it all. Josh Allen has gone from a draft pick that critics questioned to one of the very best in the league. Matching him up with Brady makes for an interesting storyline dating back to their battles when the 44-year-old was in New England. There's a lot of history and respect between the two and it would be fun to watch.
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The Buccaneers and Bills faced off in December while jocking for playoff position. Tampa Bay came out on top, 33-27, in overtime after Buffalo rallied to force the extra period with a 17-3 advantage in the fourth quarter. In the loss, Allen recorded 417 total yards of offense and three touchdowns while Brady accounted for three touchdowns of his own and passed for 363 yards.
At this point, Tampa Bay is waiting on a few more decisions, and if they go the franchise's way, the roster will be even more bolstered heading into 2022. Tight end Rob Gronkowski and defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh, two veterans who played crucial roles on the super bowl team, are currently free agents and evaluating their respective futures.
It will be interesting to see how it plays out over the next few weeks.
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