2007 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season
| 2007 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season | |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Jon Gruden |
| Owner | Malcolm Glazer |
| Home field | Raymond James Stadium |
| Results | |
| Record | 9–7 |
| Division place | 1st NFC South |
| Playoff finish | Lost Wild Card Playoff (Giants) 24–14 |
| Pro Bowlers | QB Jeff Garcia |
| Team MVP | QB Jeff Garcia |
The 2007 Tampa Bay Buccaneers season was the 32nd season for the club in the National Football League. On December 16, 2007, they clinched the NFC South division title, and returned to the playoffs after missing it in 2006.
On December 16, in a game against the Atlanta Falcons, Micheal Spurlock scored the first kickoff return touchdown in franchise history, snapping a streak of 32 seasons, 497 games (at 53 stadiums in 38 cities), 139 individuals, and 1,864 unsuccessful attempts. The play earned Spurlock the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week award.
The Wildcard game was Jon Gruden's final playoff appearance as head coach of the Buccaneers before being dismissed at the conclusion of next season.
As of the 2016 season, this was the last season that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have qualified for the playoffs, making it 7 straight years that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have missed the playoffs.
Head coach Jon Gruden was in his sixth year with the Buccaneers. He was joined by Offensive Coordinator Bill Muir and Defensive Coordinator Monte Kiffin.
The 2007 offseason proved to be productive for the Buccaneers. General manager Bruce Allen and head coach Jon Gruden had approximately US$24 million in salary cap space with which to maneuver during free agency. They made a splash on the first day of free agency by signing two quarterbacks: unrestricted free agent Jeff Garcia (Eagles) and Jake Plummer (Broncos) in a trade for a conditional pick in the 2008 draft (believed to be a 4th round selection if Plummer played). Controversy soon followed as Plummer announced his retirement on the same day, citing his health and his lack of a desire to compete for a job and learn a new system. However, he did not complete his retirement paperwork with the league. Many believed that Plummer was simply trying to retire so that he could later unretire and play for the Texans. They are led by his former coach Gary Kubiak, under whom Plummer played his best three years of football. The league reviewed the trade to make sure that Plummer had not retired before the trade (a retired player cannot be traded), but he had not and his rights officially belong to the Buccaneers. Other free agent losses and signings are as follows:
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