Breaking News: Former Buccaneers QB joins the Detroits Lions
Kacy Rodgers left the Tampa Bay Buccaneers earlier this summer to take a position as defensive line coach for the Detroit Lions. As it happens, the Lions would occasionally draw from Tampa Bay’s reserve to bolster their coaching staff.
Given how long he had been with the Bucs, it was a bit surprise when Rodgers made a lateral move. He joined Tampa Bay when Todd Bowles initially arrived in 2019, but he and the team parted ways amicably after his contract expired at the end of the season.
The second change the Lions made made things a bit simpler.
Former Buccaneers quarterback Bruce Gradkowski is joining the Lions’ staff to help launch his NFL coaching career, while Rodgers made a lateral shift.
Bruce Gradkowski gets hired by the Lions to help launch his NFL coaching career.
On Thursday, Bucs supporters had their “Oh, That Guy!” moment when they learned that Bruce Gradkowski had been hired by the Lions to be an assistant coach on John Morton’s new staff. Gradkowski will be making his NFL comeback for the first time since his playing days ended in 2016, despite having some coaching experience at the high school and collegiate levels.
It’s difficult to comprehend how long Gradkowski’s career lasted or how long ago he was starting for the Buccaneers. In his final years as head coach, Jon Gruden made a valiant effort to salvage him as one of the few QB projects he had left, but he was not very successful.
In his two seasons in Tampa Bay, Gradkowski started 11 games for the Bucs, although only three of them ended in victories. A strong preseason in 2006 was followed by a respectable debut against the Saints in Week 5 of that season, which gave him a brief glimpse of his potential as a wunderkind before bringing him back to earth. After Chris Simms burst his spleen, he famously replaced him. This injury ultimately terminated Simms’ stint in Tampa Bay and sent the Bucs into an unending quarterbacking spiral that continued until Tom Brady arrived more than ten years later.
After his career ended, Gradkowski gained experience as a high school coach before landing a position as an offensive assistant at his alma mater, Toledo. He has been with the St. Louis Battlehawks offensive coordinator for the past two years, helping the team to a first-place finish and an XFL Championship Game appearance.
He now has the opportunity to return to the NFL and experience life again. Gradkowski is making a comeback as a coach at the perfect moment, even if it’s easier said than done. Young coaches are increasingly being given opportunities in more prestigious positions. By signing Dave Canales and Liam Coen, who just appointed 29-year-old Grant Udinski as his offensive coordinator, Tampa Bay has contributed to the dawn of that age.
