After entering the 2025 season as favorites in the NFC South and playing like it at the start of the year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers struggled and failed to make the playoffs. Changes needed to be made, and while many believed HC Todd Bowles would be fired, it turned out to be other members of the staff, including OC Josh Grizzard.
Why Did the Buccaneers Hire Zac Robinson As Their Next OC?
Next season could very well be Bowles’ only chance to turn the Buccaneers around, and making the correct OC hire is paramount to get it done. Time will tell if that happens, but it seems Tampa Bay has pinpointed the guy for the job.
Among the potential coaching candidates for the Buccaneers’ OC opening, former Miami Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel was a top choice. Once he went to the Los Angeles Chargers to become their OC, that direction was obviously no longer available.
Tampa Bay pivoted quickly, and on Thursday, it was announced that they are finalizing a deal to hire former Atlanta Falcons OC Zac Robinson.
A new OC for Baker: The #Bucs are set to hire former #Falcons OC Zac Robinson as their new coordinator, sources say. With a big push from Baker Mayfield. pic.twitter.com/JeMFQCgXko
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) January 22, 2026
Now that the Buccaneers have their next OC, let’s see if it was the correct move.
Grading the Zac Robinson Hire
For what the Buccaneers value, this move makes sense. Robinson comes from the Sean McVay tree and runs an offense very similar to the one Tampa Bay’s last three OCs (Grizzard, Liam Coen, Dave Canales) ran. The reason why this is so important for the Buccaneers is an understandable want for consistency in the offense, specifically for QB Baker Mayfield.
Since signing with Tampa Bay, Mayfield has played at a high level not seen since his time in Cleveland, and arguably even better. Yes, last season was different, but that’s one of the main reasons why they moved on from Grizzard. The Buccaneers are trying to return to the offensive success of 2024Â (ranked 3rd overall in PFSN’s Offensive Impact Metric).
In addition, like Coen, Robinson was on the Los Angeles Rams coaching staff when Mayfield was also on the team.
Looking at this move negatively, Robinson may just be another Grizzard. According to last season’s offensive rankings in PFSN’s Impact Metric, the Falcons were 18th overall, and the Buccaneers were 21st. Not the biggest difference. Both rosters have very similar levels of offensive talent, so how much of an upgrade is Robinson over Grizzard?
This doesn’t guarantee Robinson will bring a similar level of success, or lack thereof, that Grizzard had with the Buccaneers, but it does lay out an understanding of how this hire could go wrong.
Overall, with the Buccaneers’ values in mind and the focus on Mayfield’s success, this hire got the job done, but it might not elevate Tampa Bay back to its 2024 level.
