The 2025 season marked the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 50th in the NFL, but it ended in disappointment as they missed the playoffs for the first time since 2019. After a strong 6-2 start—their best since 2021—a series of key injuries and defensive breakdowns triggered a late-season collapse, causing them to lose seven of eight games and finish 8-9, failing to win a fifth straight NFC South title. Injuries took a heavy toll, with star receiver Mike Evans missing nine games (hamstring and broken clavicle) and snapping his 11-season 1,000-yard receiving streak, while quarterback Baker Mayfield started all 17 games despite multiple ailments. The team celebrated its 50th season with widely praised throwback uniforms, including the 1976 white-on-white design, and made NFL history as the first team to win its first four games with game-winning scores in the final minute. Head coach Todd Bowles was retained, but several assistants were fired, and 87-year-old offensive assistant Tom Moore retired after a 65-year coaching career. The season also marked the end of an era, as longtime wide receiver Mike Evans was released and subsequently signed with the San Francisco 49ers.