After hiring their offensive coordinator, Zac Robinson, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are adding more Atlanta Falcons coaches to Todd Bowles’ coaching staff. The Falcons were responsible for the Buccaneers’ elimination from playoff contention, as it was their Week 18 win over the New Orleans Saints that handed the Carolina Panthers the AFC South title and a postseason spot.

Now looking forward to the 2026 season, the Buccs are hiring former Falcons assistants T.J. Yates and senior offensive assistant Ken Zampese, as reported by Rick Stroud.

T.J Yates and Ken Zampese were part of the Atlanta offense, which was ranked 14th in yards and eighth in rushing yards last season despite losing starting quarterback Michael Penix for the second half of the season.

This hiring also emerged as a new development in the long-standing personal conflict between the Falcons’ new head coach, Kevin Stefanski, and Buccaneers QB1 Baker Mayfield. Stefanski and Mayfield were together during their time with the Cleveland Browns before the star quarterback was traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2022.

The reason behind this decision was that Mayfield felt “disrespected” after the team sought an “adult” at the position and requested a trade, ending his four-year tenure. Now, fast-forwarding to 2026, Mayfield called out Stefanski as he asserted he “got shipped off like a piece of garbage” by the Browns in 2022 while responding to a tweet about the new Atlanta head coach’s tenure in Cleveland.

“Failed is quite the reach, pal. Still waiting on a text/call from him after I got shipped off like a piece of garbage. Can’t wait to see you twice a year, Coach,” Mayfield tweeted.

While Kevin Stefanski had a subdued response when asked about the comments from the Tampa Bay quarterback, the battle lines are already drawn for the 2026 season, as the Falcons and the Buccaneers will lock horns twice as divisional rivals.

As this rivalry continues to brew, the Buccaneers continue to build out their coaching staff ahead of the 2026 season.

Buccaneers sign new DL and OL coaches after Robinson hire

As Tampa Bay reconstructs its coaching staff after firing first-time offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard, the Buccaneers are set to bring new coaches for their offensive and defensive lines. Looking at the defensive side of things, the Bucs have hired former Buffalo Bills DL coach Marcus West.

West had four different stops before becoming an assistant head coach, co-defensive coordinator, and defensive line coach at Charlotte from 2019 to 21 before being hired by Sean McDermott as an assistant defensive line coach for the Bills in 2022.

On the offensive side of things, Tampa Bay is bringing in former Oklahoma State teammate Andrew Mitchell as their assistant offensive line coach. Mitchell served as OSU’s offensive line coach, replacing Brian Picucci, who joined Liam Coen and the Jaguars as their run game coordinator.

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With these hires, the Buccaneers will hope that Todd Bowles can finally bring back the Lombardi Trophy for the first time since 2021.