Dave Canales, the Seattle Seahawks quarterbacks coach who helped revive Geno Smith’s career last season, is set to become the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offensive coordinator, according to multiple media reports on Wednesday.
Canales would fill the vacancy created when the Buccaneers fired Byron Leftwich after the 2022 season, in which Tampa Bay finished 15th in the NFL in total yards (346.7 per game) and 25th in scoring (18.4 points per game).
The Seahawks wound up 13th in total offense (351.5 yards per game) and ninth in scoring offense (23.9 points per game) in Smith’s first year as their full-time starter. Seattle went 9-8, and Smith was selected the league’s Comeback Player of the Year after passing for 4,282 yards, 30 touchdowns and 11 interceptions with an NFL-best 69.8 percent completion rate.
It is unclear who will be the Buccaneers’ quarterback next season after Tom Brady retired on Feb. 1.
Canales, 41, served as the Seahawks’ wide receivers coach from 2010-17. He was the team’s quarterbacks coach the following two seasons, then spent two seasons as Seattle’s passing game coordinator before moving back to quarterbacks coach last year.
The Southern California native played college football for Azusa Pacific, an NAIA program.
–Field Level Media