Buccaneers Hire New Tight Ends Coach From NFC South Rival
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are making a new coaching hire, and it brings a new offensive coach to the fold under offensive coordinator Liam Coen's new staff.
The Bucs announced Wednesday that they're hiring former Atlanta Falcons tight ends coach Justin Peelle to the same role in Tampa Bay. John Van Dam, who previously served as Tampa Bay's tight ends coach, will stay on staff but will be designated as a passing game assistant.
Peelle has NFL history as a player himself, serving as a tight end for 10 seasons. He played for the San Diego Chargers, Miami Dolphins, Atlanta Falcons and the San Francisco 49ers and ended his career with 123 receptions for 1,003 yards and 12 touchdowns in his career.
He entered coaching in 2013 as an assistant tight ends coach for the Philadelphia Eagles, and he would eventually take their tight ends coaching job in 2015. Perhaps his most notable player developed is Zach Ertz, who he was with for the first eight years of his career — Ertz would eventually win Super Bowl LIII with the Eagles over future Bucs quarterback Tom Brady and would break the NFL record for most receptions by a tight end in a single season with 116, which Tampa Bay notes in their press release for Peelle's hiring still stands today.
Peelle was most recently the tight ends coach for the Atlanta Falcons for the last three years. Under Peelle, Atlanta's tight ends in Jonnu Smith and Kyle Pitts lead the league in receiving yards (1,380) while ranking fifth in receptions (114) and ninth in touchdowns with seven.
Peelle is another hire under new Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen, who is building his staff in Tampa Bay after being hired by Todd Bowles and staff when Dave Canales departed to become the head coach of the Carolina Panthers.
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