2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
| 2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Jon Gruden |
| General manager | Rich McKay |
| Owner | Malcolm Glazer |
| Home field | Raymond James Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 7–9 |
| Division place | 3rd NFC South |
| Playoff finish | Did not qualify |
| Pro Bowlers |
4
|
| AP All-Pros | LB Derrick Brooks, DE Simeon Rice (both 2nd team) |
| Team MVP | WR Keenan McCardell |
The 2003 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the franchise's 28th season in the National Football League.
The season began with the team trying to defend its Super Bowl XXXVII title of 2002. Despite high expectations, several last-minute losses led to locker room tension and front-office struggles. The Buccaneers finished 7–9, and missed the playoffs for the first time since 1998.
Combined with the 2003 Oakland Raiders season' dismal 4–12 performance, neither Super Bowl team reached the playoffs that year. This situation would not happen again until the 2016 season when both the Broncos and the Panthers, the two Super Bowl contenders for the 2015 season, would miss the playoffs.
Soon after the Super Bowl victory, a growing number of press reports had indicated Gruden's lack of patience with general manager Rich McKay. McKay was a major architect of the Buccaneers rebuilding effort over the previous ten years, and he, like Gruden, had long-established ties to the Tampa Bay-area. However, as the 2003 season wore on, Gruden/McKay relationship deteriorated as the Buccaneers struggled on the field. In November, Keyshawn Johnson was deactivated by the team ten games into the season for his conduct, which included sideline arguments with coaches and players. Johnson was eventually traded to the Dallas Cowboys for wide receiver Joey Galloway.
Along with the Johnson de-activation, injuries sidelined several players during the season. The starting roster from Opening Day looked drastically different come November, particularly on offense. Opening day starters such as Mike Alstott, Brian Kelly, Greg Spires, and Kenyatta Walker, along with Joe Jurevicius, John Howell, Tim Wansley, Darian Barnes, Ellis Wyms all ended up on injured reserve. By Thanksgiving, the starting running back became lesser-known Thomas Jones, with on-again, off-again third-string receiver Charles Lee elevated to starter. Though quarterback Brad Johnson started all 16 games – a feat not accomplished by him in the Buccaneers Super Bowl season the previous year – he was benched while losing in the final week during a "meaningless" game against Tennessee.
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