Bruce Arians spent decades coaching in the NFL, working with several prominent quarterbacks and leading the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to a Super Bowl championship. After stepping down as Tampa Bay’s head coach in 2022, he focused on his health and life away from the sidelines. Now, following open-heart surgery and a significant improvement in his energy, Arians says he has started to feel the desire to coach again.
Arians discussed his retirement, recovery, and possible return during an appearance on *The Schultz Report* podcast with NFL insider Jordan Schultz. The 74-year-old said he feels healthier than he has in years, and that change has brought back an interest in coaching that had been absent during his retirement.
“I had torn my Achilles early in that season,” Arians said, describing the difficulties he faced in Tampa Bay. He explained that wearing high-heeled medical footwear affected his back and made it painful to stand on the sideline throughout a game. At the time, he was also monitoring an aneurysm affecting his heart.
Arians said he and the Buccaneers had done what they could together after pursuing another championship, and that it was then time to hand the team over to Todd Bowles. With his health now improving, he said, the desire to coach has returned—though he has not decided what to do next.
## Health challenges shaped his decision to step away
Arians left his position as Tampa Bay’s head coach in March 2022, after three seasons, and Bowles took over the role. The decision followed a challenging period in which the Achilles injury made it difficult for Arians to remain on his feet during games. His heart condition was an additional concern.
The aneurysm was monitored for years. In February 2026, Arians underwent open-heart surgery in Philadelphia to repair an aortic aneurysm. He later said the procedure had gone well.
His latest comments suggest that recovery has changed how he views a possible return to the NFL. Arians said he had not been interested in coaching again while he was dealing with health problems. The start of the 2026 season, however, was the first time retirement brought back the feeling that he might want to return.
“This is the first time it’s really given me,” he said. “I hadn’t had any desire to go back, and I was still fighting some health issues. But now, after the open-heart surgery, I’ve got so much more energy. It’s amazing.”
The improvement in his health appears to be central to his renewed interest. Arians described having more energy after surgery, a contrast with the pain and medical concerns that affected his final season in Tampa Bay.
## No return plans have been announced
Although Arians says he has “the itch again,” he is not currently negotiating with an NFL team. He has not committed to returning to coaching or named a potential destination. For now, his comments indicate renewed interest rather than a confirmed plan to rejoin a franchise.
Arians would bring extensive experience if he chose to return. He compiled a 31-18 regular-season record during his three seasons as head coach of the Buccaneers. The team won Super Bowl LV, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 31-9 with Tom Brady at quarterback.
Before his time in Tampa Bay, Arians spent five seasons as head coach of the Arizona Cardinals, recording a 49-30-1 regular-season mark. He earned his second Associated Press Coach of the Year award in 2014. Earlier in his career, he served as the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offensive coordinator and won two Super Bowl rings as an assistant.
Across his head-coaching career, Arians finished with an 80-48-1 regular-season record. His coaching experience also includes working with quarterbacks such as Brady, Ben Roethlisberger, Andrew Luck, and Carson Palmer.
For now, Arians has left the possibility of a return open without identifying a team or setting a timetable. After years of health concerns and major surgery earlier in 2026, he says he is feeling better—and, for the first time in retirement, is considering the possibility of coaching again.
