The Seahawks and Buccaneers are both marking their 50th NFL season in 2025 and they’ll be breaking out some vintage threads as part of the celebration.
Both teams announced that they will be wearing throwback uniforms when they meet in Seattle in Week 5. That will mean the white jersey version of the Buccaneers’ Creamsicle look and royal blue jerseys for the Seahawks. Both teams will also sport the helmets that they wore in the past.
The look will be similar to the ones that the two teams sported when they met during their inaugural season in 1976. The Seahawks prevailed 13-10 for one of their two wins on the season. The Buccaneers went 0-14 to open their NFL run.
The Bucs will also be wearing the home version of their throwbacks for their Week 3 home opener against the Jets.
The Buccaneers had a season to forget as an expansion franchise in 1976, becoming the first 0-14 team in NFL history. But the Bucs’ original uniforms are worth celebrating, and those uniforms will be featured as part of the team’s 50th season this year.
The Bucs will wear their original 1976 uniforms in their home opener on September 21 against the Jets, marking the first time since that inaugural season that the Buccaneers have worn their complete original uniforms. The Bucs have worn the famous Creamsicle look in other throwback games, but this year will be the first time that the players will wear a uniform identical to the one the team wore in 1976 — with one exception, a Creamsicle 50th season patch on the jerseys.
“The ’76 Jersey represents a piece of Buccaneers history and serves as a tribute to the generations of fans and players who shaped this franchise,” Buccaneers Chief Operating Officer Brian Ford said in a statement. “As we launch into our 50th season, we’re proud to reintroduce The ’76 Jersey and the tradition it embodies. It is a reminder that every Buccaneers fan, from the originals to the newest generation, is part of an evolving story that started in 1976 and continues being written today.”
The Buccaneers’ original white jerseys with orange numbers outlined in red and sleeves featuring one orange stripe between two red stripes were worn only in 1976, and the home opener will mark the jerseys’ triumphant return. The Bucs will also wear their original white helmets, white pants and striped socks.
Throwback uniforms have become popular with fans and lucrative for the NFL’s merchandising, and the Bucs’ original uniforms are among the NFL’s most distinctive throwbacks. Bucs fans hope the team never throws it back to the quality of play they put on the field at the outset of the franchise, as they lost their first 26 games. But fans will gladly celebrate the team’s original look.
Ndamukong Suh, who hasn’t played in an NFL game since Super Bowl LVII two and a half years ago, today made it official that his NFL career is over. While not a surprise, the timing of the announcement had personal significance to Suh because today is the first anniversary of the death of his father.
“It’s the day I said goodbye to my father, the man who raised me, shaped me, challenged me, and believed in me before I believed in myself,” Suh wrote on social media. “He wasn’t just a dad. He was my idol, my coach, and my anchor. He taught me what it meant to be disciplined, focused, and relentless in everything I do. Every snap I took in football carried his fingerprint. Every time I lined up across from someone, I could hear his voice pushing me, reminding me that I wasn’t just representing myself. I was representing him, my family, my name. Before he passed, he gave me one final piece of advice, ‘It’s time to let football go. You’ve done everything you set out to do. Now it’s time for the next chapter.’”
One of the most dominant defensive tackles in college football history at Nebraska, Suh entered the NFL with the Lions as the second overall pick in the 2010 NFL draft. He made an immediate impact and was the league’s defensive rookie of the year and a first-team All-Pro as a rookie. After earning two more first-team All-Pros in Detroit, he left for Miami, signing a contract that made him the highest-paid defensive player in NFL history at the time. After three years with the Dolphins he had stints with the Rams and Buccaneers before closing his career with the Eagles.
Suh played in Super Bowls for each of his last three teams, a rare accomplishment in NFL history. The short list of players who have played in Super Bowls for three different franchises includes Rod Woodson (Steelers, Ravens, Raiders), Bill Romanowski (49ers, Broncos, Raiders), Preston Pearson (Colts, Steelers, Cowboys), Harry Swayne (Chargers, Broncos, Ravens) and Joe Jurevicius (Giants, Buccaneers, Seahawks).
Suh was widely regarded as one of the most feared and physically aggressive players in the NFL, a reputation that was well-earned — and a reputation that did not make him well-liked by either opponents or the league office. He was frequently fined and twice suspended for cheap shots, although one of those suspensions, which would have forced him to miss a playoff game for stepping on Aaron Rodgers’ arm, was overturned on appeal. Suh will be remembered as a great player who pushed the envelope and stood out as an old-school defender in an era when the league increasingly emphasized player safety.
During the Buccaneers’ offseason program, head coach Todd Bowles said left tackle Tristan Wirfs would be fine in training camp, despite Wirfs sitting out minicamp practices with a bulky brace on his right knee.
But now, that is not going to end up being the case.
Per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, Wirfs will miss the start of the regular season after undergoing arthroscopic surgery.
Wirfs had aggravated an injury that kept him out for a game in 2024. But when he underwent the procedure on his right knee, additional damage was found, which will now sideline him longer.
Stroud notes that Wirfs will likely begin the season on the physically unable to perform list. If that is the case, Wirfs would not be eligible to return to play until the Week 5 matchup against the Seahawks.
While Wirfs will almost certainly begin training camp on the PUP list, he can be activated to the roster at any time before rosters are reduced to 53 players. If he progresses enough to play within a week or two in the regular season, the Bucs could have him on their 53-man roster at the end of August and list him as inactive on gameday until he’s healthy.
Stroud notes Charlie Heck is likely to replace Wirfs at left tackle to start the season.
Tampa Bay is once again integrating a new offensive coordinator under Bowles, as last year’s OC, Liam Coen, was hired as Jaguars head coach. Josh Grizzard was promoted to OC in January to replace Coen.
When he was still playing, Tom Brady defeated Patrick Mahomes in an AFC Championship Game and a Super Bowl.
But now that he’s retired, Brady has been providing some insight and advice to the Chiefs’ quarterback.
In an interview with Up & Adams that aired on Monday, Mahomes noted that he’s long had thoughts about what his legacy could be when he’s done playing. But when Brady recently noted that Mahomes has a chance to duplicate some of Brady’s historical impact on the game, that also provided a little additional motivation for the Kansas City quarterback.
“I think [legacy is] always in the back of your mind — even from the beginning of my career,” Mahomes told Kay Adams. “But at the end of the day, it’s about taking it a day at a time — a day, and a day, and a day, just continuing to do that. That’s something that I’ve been conscious of, of knowing how blessed I am to be in Kansas City, to have all these great players around me.
“And having Tom, a guy like that say that, just motivates me even more. I’ve actually talked to Tom a good amount this offseason. It’s cool that he wants to give me advice. He doesn’t have to be like that. He’s such a good dude. And I have so much respect for him, and I’ll take any advice he gives me.”
What is that advice?
“I’ve got to keep the secrets, you know?” Mahomes said, tongue in cheek. “But he always talks about being yourself. He thinks that — which I truly believe, too — is that guys can spot when you’re not authentic, and you’re not putting in the work. That’s something that he did every single day. That’s why guys respected him so much. And that’s all I’m going to do for the rest of my career, and I feel like I’ve done so far, is I’m always myself — no matter if you like me or don’t like me, you know I’m giving everything I can to win football games.”
While Mahomes and Brady can relate to a lot as quarterbacks, Brady’s status as a Raiders minority owner could raise some questions about the nature of their relationship.
Though Mahomes and the Chiefs suffered a bitter defeat in Super Bowl LIX back in February. But given the team’s success since Mahomes took over as QB1 in 2018, there’s no reason to think Kansas City won’t be a serious contender once again in 2025.
