Bucs could be making peace with Jaguars’ Liam Coen with latest scheduling update
Tampa Bay appears to have moved past the saga involving their former offensive coordinator.
The 2026 schedule release is a matter of minutes away, and soon enough fans of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the other 31 teams will know when and where every game will take place this fall.
However, it’s something on the Bucs’ preseason schedule that could be notable.
According to WFLA sports reporter Aileen Hnatiuk, citing Bucs preseason TV host Chris Myers, Tampa Bay is set to face Jacksonville in their preseason finale on the road. And Hnatiuk mentions a “potential” joint practice between the Bucs and Jags the week of the game.
Bucs could have joint practice with Jaguars ahead of preseason matchup
There aren’t many Bucs fans who aren’t aware of what went down between the Bucs, Jags, and Liam Coen after the conclusion of the 2024 season.
Coen interviewed with the Jaguars for their vacant head coaching position in January 2025. However, he thereafter reached an agreement with the Bucs to return as their offensive coordinator with a deal that would make him the highest paid OC in NFL history. The deal contained a clause that it would bar him from taking on a second interview with Jacksonville for their head coaching job.
Well, interview with Jacksonville he did, and he did it behind the Bucs’ backs, who were unable to get in touch with him to come in and sign his new deal. After continued stall tactics and evasiveness, Coen finally advised the Bucs he was taking the Jacksonville job. Needless to say, the way it went down left a bad taste in the mouths of the Bucs’ front office.
But it appears as though, a year later, bygones are now bygones between the Bucs and Coen. The latter proved a good early return on his hire, leading Jacksonville to an AFC South title last year. The Bucs hope that new OC Zac Robinson can deliver a strong bounce back season on the offensive side of the ball after a forgettable 2025 effort.