3 Major Differences With the Buccaneers' Offense Entering 2026

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will have a new offensive coordinator for the fourth time in as many seasons, and with that will naturally come some change.

The Bucs hired former Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson this offseason to help right the ship after prior coordinator Josh Grizzard didn't pan out. He brings a similar offense that the Bucs have run the past few seasons, all derived from the Los Angeles Rams' tree, but things will be a bit different from what they have been in Tampa Bay.

New personnel the Bucs have brought in will create some changes, too. Here are three things we think will be different from 2025 to 2026 on the offensive side of the ball.

Wide Zone

Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Zac Robinson before the game against the San Francisco 49ers at Levi's Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to go with a type of run scheme that they tried in 2024 under Liam Coen by switching to a wide zone run scheme.

Wide zone is when the offensive linemen move horizontally toward the boundary in an attempt to allow the running backs to cut back in. Unlike the gap scheme that the Bucs have been largely running for the last two years, where linemen more frequently pull and are assigned specific players, zone blocking schemes have them blocking a specific area.

The interesting part? When Coen tried this as the Buccaneers' OC in 2024, it failed significantly, and he decided to try more gap runs. That ended up working spectacularly, and it made the Bucs one of the best running teams in the league.

Robinson used wide zone in Atlanta over the least two years and had success with it. Can he do the same with the Bucs? Or will it turn out the same as last time?

The Addition of RB Kenny Gainwell

Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Kenny Gainwell (1) participates in training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Buccaneers had Rachaad White as the supplementary back to Bucky Irving in 2025. Now, it's running back Kenny Gainwell, and he has a bit of a different skill set.

Gainwell has a more similar profile to Irving than White did. He's a pass-catching threat out of the backfield, but he should prove to be a more talented runner than White was and he's closer in size to Irving, too.

That should give the Bucs the ability to run similar types of plays when one of those backs comes in for the other, and it could allow them to be deadlier in the red zone with Gainwell's superior pass rushing and running ability. It will be interesting to see how Gainwell does in Tampa Bay under Robinson — especially since he's not as good as White in the pass-blocking game.

More 12 Personnel?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Cade Otton (88) participates in training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Buccaneers didn't use their tight ends very much at all last year when the whole offense is healthy. With Robinson calling plays, though, that should definitely change.

The Bucs re-signed Cade Otton to a three-year deal, and they kept three other tight ends on the roster. That includes sixth-round pick Bauer Sharp, who could be the move tight end the Bucs have been looking for to give them another dimension on offense.

Expect to see more 12 personnel in Tampa Bay — that means two tight ends will be on the field at the same time. Robinson ran it quite a bit in Atlanta, and he should bring it to Tampa Bay, especially now that other teams are using more tight ends on the field after the Los Angeles Rams started doing it last season.

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