Former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians says he is returning

Thanks to quarterback Baker Mayfield’s breakout season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won five of their final six regular-season games and advanced to the postseason.

This offseason, Mayfield—a free agent—has indicated interest in joining the Bucs again. There is also reciprocal interest.

That doesn’t mean, though, that the Buccaneers aren’t looking at other quarterback alternatives.

Former Tampa Bay coach Bruce Arians recently informed Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times that he is interested in a collegiate quarterback. Arians is currently designated as a senior advisor to general manager Jason Licht.

Michael Penix Jr. of Washington is coming off a standout season in which he led the Huskies to the National Championship Game, where they were defeated by Michigan, and placed second in the Heisman Trophy Award voting. And although Penix had some difficulties and hurt his ankle against the Wolverines, he was outstanding against No. 3 Texas in the Sugar Bowl semifinal, finishing 29 of 38 passes for 430 yards and two touchdowns and adding 31 rushing yards on three rushes to win MVP of the game.

In that game, Arians, who is assisting Licht in getting ready for the 2024 NFL Draft, paid attention to Penix and appeared captivated by his potential.

In a three-round 2024 NFL mock draft, Justin Fields is acquired by the Patriots in one of five first-round deals.
Order of the 2024 NFL Draft’s first round; the 32 teams’ top five needs going into the offseason
Daniel Jeremiah’s first-ever NFL mock draft for 2024: quarterbacks selected by the Bears, Commanders, Patriots, and Saints

Arians said to Stroud, “As far as the football grade goes, I love Penix because he does things I love to do.” He advances the ball across the field. He tosses the ball up the field as accurately as anyone I’ve seen in fifteen years. simply to persevere through the final game after suffering a torn ankle. However, what he did to Texas was absurd.”

Penix, however, is a difficult evaluation. He is a little older than most QB prospects—he will turn 24 soon after the selection in April. More worryingly, though, is Penix’s extensive history of injuries, which goes all the way back to Indiana, where he began his collegiate career.

From 2018 to 2021, Penix experienced injuries that ended his season four times in a row. His seasons in 2019 and 2021 were cut short due to shoulder problems, as he sustained ruptured ACLs in both 2018 and 2020. After suffering an ankle injury against Michigan, Penix recovered in time to play at the Senior Bowl. He missed the game at the end of the week after practicing for a week.

Arians is aware of Penix’s medical risks, which will be a major topic of discussion at the 2024 NFL Combine, which gets underway on February 26. However, he also values the information that Penix’s extensive injury history provides.

“I believe that speaks volumes about the child—how resilient he is to get through everything,” Arians remarked. “And to perform as he did this year. The medical professionals will now tug and pull and perform other tasks when you arrive at the combine. It will be of medical grade for you.”

Arians was pleased with Mayfield’s 2023 performance and continues to think that he could step down.

Arians remarked, “I think he loves it here.” “The work he accomplished, specifically the work Todd Bowles performed with the new play-caller, quarterback, coordinator, Dave Canales, and all of the ups and downs, to be the sole NFC team with four consecutive postseason appearances,? That really pleases me, in particular.

However, there may be space on the Bucs’ roster for another quarterback even if Mayfield makes a comeback.The lone quarterback under contract right now is Kyle Trask, who lost a starting competition against Baker Mayfield after completing three of ten passes for 23 yards in three seasons of activity. In the 2021 NFL Draft, the Bucs selected him in the second round, 64th overall.

Penix has another link to Tampa geographically. He was reared in the neighboring city of Dade City, Florida, and went to Tampa Bay Technical High School, where he started for two seasons before joining the Hoosiers and then the Huskies.

The Bucs are planning to select 26th overall in the first round of the draft in April, but Penix may not make it if his health issues prevent him from playing. Arians has observed that there is a solid QB class overall in this draft.

“In the last ten or fifteen years, this generation of quarterbacks may be the best to emerge,” he remarked. “Some guys are flinging it, and others are sprinting the 40-yard dash in 4.5 seconds. In this draft, the passers are just outstanding.”

However, Arians may have given away who his early favorite is.