Bruce Arians spent decades on NFL sidelines, guiding some of the league’s biggest quarterbacks and leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl title. But health problems forced him to step away in 2022, following an Achilles injury and concerns over a heart aneurysm. Now, after another major health battle, the two-time AP Coach of the Year is seemingly entertaining a return to coaching.
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Speaking on The Schultz Report podcast with NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Arians opened up about his retirement, recovery, and the possibility of returning to the sidelines. The 74-year-old admitted that his health is finally improving, bringing back a feeling he hadn’t experienced since leaving Tampa Bay.
“I had torn my Achilles early in that season and I was wearing these prosthetic high heels and it threw my back out and I couldn’t stand on the sideline for four hours anymore without a lot of pain. And I was also monitoring an aneurysm on my heart. And so, I had some health issues.
“We did everything we thought we could do in Tampa after we went in the soup bowl trying to get two. And then it was time to give it to Todd. And now that I’m all healthy again, I got the itch again. So we’ll see.”
Arians stepped down as Tampa Bay’s head coach in March 2022, handing the job to Todd Bowles after three seasons. His decision came after a difficult final year, with an Achilles injury affecting his ability to stand on the sideline during games.
The heart condition remained another major concern. In February 2026, Arians underwent open-heart surgery in Philadelphia to repair an aortic aneurysm that doctors had monitored for years, and he subsequently reported that the procedure went well.
The former coach also explained that he hadn’t been considering returning throughout retirement. In fact, the start of the 2026 season brought back those feelings for the first time.
Arians also credited his improved health for the change in mindset. He said he had little desire to return while dealing with his previous medical problems, but the recovery has given him a different outlook.
“This is the first time it’s really given me. I hadn’t had any desire to go back, and I was still fighting some health issues. But now, after the open-heart surgery, I’ve got so much more energy. It’s amazing.”
Despite the renewed interest, Arians isn’t currently negotiating with any franchise.
Still, an NFL return would bring considerable experience back to the coaching market. Arians went 31-18 during his three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, winning Super Bowl LV with Tom Brady after defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9.
His coaching resume also includes five seasons with the Arizona Cardinals, where he posted a 49-30-1 regular-season record and earned his second AP Coach of the Year award in 2014. Earlier, he worked with the Pittsburgh Steelers as their offensive coordinator, winning two Super Bowl rings as an assistant.
Across his head-coaching career, Arians finished with an 80-48-1 regular-season record. He has also worked with quarterbacks such as Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Andrew Luck, and Carson Palmer.
For now, Arians hasn’t committed to returning or identified a potential landing spot. But after years of health concerns and a major operation earlier this year, the former Super Bowl champion is finally feeling the desire to coach again.