Rivalries run deep in the NFL. Every division has its own history, and the NFC South — and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers — are no exception.
The Bucs hold one of the worst overall win percentages in North American sports, and for a while, they didn't have a true rivalry with any other team in the NFC South. But since Tom Brady arrived in Tampa Bay and won a Super Bowl immediately in 2020 (while beating the New Orleans Saints en route to that game), things have changed, and the Bucs would go on to win the NFC South four times in a row. Since then, Tampa Bay has drawn the ire of the NFC South's other teams in the Saints, Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Panthers.
Current Buffalo Bills safety has been a Buccaneers rival on a number of teams. He played for the Saints from 2019-21, witnessing Tampa Bay's Super Bowl run and their excellent 2021 season, and he's played for the Philadelphia Eagles in 2022 and 2024, a team that has served as one of Tampa Bay's biggest rivals outside their division.
On Easter, Gardner-Johnson — seemingly for no real reason — once again kindled his Buccaneers rivalry by taking a shot at the team on X.
C.J. Gardner-Johnson takes shot at Bucs on Easter
Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson celebrates after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs
Philadelphia Eagles safety C.J. Gardner-Johnson celebrates after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
"Let’s not forget Tom Brady saved the bucs….. we all know," Gardner-Johnson wrote on X.
Let’s not forget Tom Brady saved the bucs….. we all know
— C.J. Gardner-Johnson (@CGJXXIII) April 5, 2026
It's unclear what prompted Gardner-Johnson to make this post, but on one hand, he's not incorrect. Brady's arrival in Tampa Bay gave the Buccaneers a much more effective quarterback than Jameis Winston, but it also allowed the Bucs to sign big-name free agents who wanted to play with Brady and win a Super Bowl. His arrival set the standard going forward for the Bucs, and given that Tampa Bay won the division two times after he left, that standard remains today.
To say Brady "saved" the Bucs may be a bit of an exaggeration, though. Tampa Bay's excellent defense was a huge reason it won the Super Bowl that year, and much of Tampa Bay's offensive core in Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Tristan Wirfs and more were already Buccaneers when Brady arrived. It takes more than one player to win a Super Bowl and be successful, and the Bucs had all the pieces before Brady arrived.
Gardner-Johnson played for three different teams in 2025, so anything is possible, but at the moment, his Bills are not slated to play the Buccaneers on their 2026 schedule.
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