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How Can Bucs Develop 'Killer Instinct'?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Adam Schultz | Last updated Apr 5, 2025 11:41 AM ET

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will come into the 2025 season looking to be a more well-rounded and consistent football team.

While injuries derailed their 2024 season of sorts, with a 10-7 record and playoff football still achieved, the Buccaneers lost games they shouldn't have. This led head coach Todd Bowles to state at the annual league meeting that he wants his team to have a "killer instinct" next season.

But for a team dripping with talent on both sides of the ball, exactly how that can be achieved in one offseason isn't known. For Bowles, it isn't about his messaging; it's about the players doing it themselves.

"It’s more accountability," Bowles said. "It’s more accountability in practice and competing against each other. You develop that through the spring and the summer through a chemistry standpoint to make sure you’re getting your point across to have more competitive things in training camp or what have you and doing little things like that to help them along.”

With the Buccaneers retaining Chris Godwin and signing star pass rusher Haason Reddick in free agency, even before the draft, Tampa Bay feels like it is in a good spot ahead of the 2025 season.

The NFL Draft is in a couple of weeks, and the Buccaneers are expected to add some more defensive pieces as the offense feels set with Baker Mayfield and Co.

Having all the right pieces is one thing, but getting it all together and developing the "killer instinct" Bowles is talking about takes time, and the playing group, it appears, will be in charge of that this offseason.

The Buccaneers have the potential to be one of the better teams in the conference, and developing the killer instinct Bowles wants will go a long way to making it back to the postseason, and possibly going further.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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