The Tampa Bay Buccaneers seem to be willing to turn over every stone when it comes to finding their next offensive coordinator.
That might include bringing in a former mentor for 2-time Pro Bowl quarterback Baker Mayfield, who will be playing for his fourth offensive coordinator in 4 seasons in 2026 after Josh Grizzard was fired on January 8.
“Ravens OC Todd Monken will interview in person for the Bucs’ OC opening Wednesday in Tampa,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote on X. “Former Bucs assistant who worked with Baker Mayfield one year in Cleveland.”
While Monken is still technically employed by the Baltimore Ravens, where he’s been since 2023, it’s only a matter of time before he’s not. The Ravens fired head coach John Harbaugh on January 6, and whoever they replace him with will undoubtedly want to bring in their own staff.
That’s not going to include Monken.
Monken Drove Wedge Between Harbaugh, Jackson
It might raise some eyebrows if the Buccaneers did hire Monken, because he was at the heart of the issues that led to the Ravens firing Harbaugh after 18 seasons, 13 playoff appearances and one Super Bowl win.
According to a report from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Jamison Hensley, the relationship between Monken and 2-time NFL MVP quarterback Lamar Jackson soured in 2025 after 2 successful seasons, including Jackson winning NFL MVP honors in 2023.
When Harbaugh met with Ravens ownership after his team was eliminated from the playoffs with a Week 18 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, he reportedly balked at being told to fire Monken in order to keep his own job.
“Despite great success in together in 2023 and 2024, Jackson and Monken had chemistry issues this past season, according to team sources,” Fowler and Hensley wrote. “Monken’s hard-driving coaching style didn’t mesh with Jackson, one source said.”
Monken not only has ties to Mayfield, but also with the Buccaneers. He was their wide receivers coach and offensive coordinator under Dirk Koetter from 2016 to 2018.
Buccaneers Fired OC Josh Grizzard After One Season
While Harbaugh may have balked at firing Monken to save his own hide, Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles had no such qualms about firing Grizzard to keep his job.
While Grizzard was getting his first opportunity to run an NFL offense, Monken is an old hand. He could likely could have some success with Mayfield, who he worked with in his second season after the Cleveland Browns selected him No. 1 overall in the 2018 NFL draft.
In their one season together in 2019, the Browns went 6-10 while Mayfield threw for 3,827 yards, 22 touchdowns and 21 interceptions in 16 games.
Monken left the Browns following that season to become the offensive coordinator at the University of Georgia, where he won 2 College Football Playoff National Championships in 3 seasons.
Buccaneers Could Reunite QB Baker Mayfield With Former Mentor