When the confetti fell in Super Bowl LIX, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had to watch the Philadelphia Eagles celebrate their second Super Bowl title in one of the most dominating finishes in league history.
In the Bucs’ minds, the 2024-25 season had been a missed opportunity. Not only did Tampa Bay destroy the Eagles early in the season, but they also knocked off the Detroit Lions (the top seed in the NFC) as well.
For them to fail to get out of the wild card round after that was a disappointment.
And one that the 2025 team is hoping to avenge.
Tampa Bay bolstered both sides of the roster this offseason, and remains a strong contender this season. Plenty of analysts believe that as well.
ESPN's Ben Solak is one analyst who thinks they could be the second-best team in the NFC behind the Eagles.
"ESPN BET ranks the most likely NFC representatives for the Super Bowl in this order: Eagles, Lions, 49ers, Commanders, Packers, Rams, Vikings and Buccaneers,"
Solak said. "I would have the Buccaneers over every team besides the Eagles. Maybe tied with the Lions and Rams, but no lower than that."
The Buccaneers are not without their own problems. They have a new offensive play-caller for a third straight season, their defense needs to stay healthy, and their head coach hasn't proven he can outwit some of the better minds in the league.
With a roster this talented, though, many of those concerns may be short-lived.
And it's why the Buccaneers may be in line for a deep playoff run this season after all.