The Buccaneers Are the Only NFC Team To Accomplish This Feat In the Last 4 Years

When thinking about the contenders in the NFC, there are a couple of teams that probably jump into your mind first. The San Francisco 49ers won the conference last year, and look primed to contend again this season. The Detroit Lions , Dallas Cowboys , and Philadelphia Eagles feel like easy choices as well.

However, only one team in the conference has managed to make the playoffs in each of the past four seasons, and it isn’t any of those heavyweights.

That team is the Tampa Bay Buccaneers .

How Has Tampa Bay Maintained This Streak?

The Bucs have remained the most dominant force in the NFC South

Tampa Bay’s streak began in 2020. This was Tom Brady ‘s first year with the franchise, and he carried his legendary legacy into Tampa Bay without any hesitation. They went 11-5 in the regular season, finishing second in the NFC South and earning a Wild Card spot.

Tampa Bay would go on to run the table, knocking off the Washington CommandersNew Orleans Saints , Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs en route to a Super Bowl win.

In 2021, they’d defend their title with a 13-4 record and another divisional crown. They beat the Eagles in the Wild Card round, but lost to the Los Angeles Rams in the Divisional. Brady would retire after the season, but he shockingly announced a return for the 2022 season.

This would be Brady’s last year in the league, and the team ended up declining a bit, finishing with an 8-9 record. They still managed to win the NFC South, which speaks to the sad state of affairs in that division, earning their third straight trip to the postseason, where they were quickly dispatched by the Dallas Cowboys .

The 2023 season would be the fourth consecutive year in which they made the playoffs. Tampa Bay won their division for the third straight season, and beat the Eagles in the Wild Card round before losing to the Lions in the divisional round.

With Brady on the team, the Bucs were considered Super Bowl contenders. When he retired, nobody expected much from the Bucs, yet in 2023 they managed to finish with a 9-8 record anyway thanks to a very solid year from their new quarterback, Baker Mayfield . Still, Tampa Bay remained in control of their division.

Considering all the other contenders in the NFC, it is surprising to realize Tampa Bay has been the most consistent in this regard.

There are some teams still working on some streaks of their own, though. The 49ers have made it to the playoffs in three consecutive seasons, with their 6-10 2020 season being the last time they failed to make it. The Cowboys find themselves in the same boat, and will also be looking for their fourth appearance in a row this season.

The only other team with a multi-year streak are the Eagles, who have also reached the postseason in three consecutive years. Interestingly, the Eagles have lost to the Buccaneers in the Wild Card round in two of those years, following the 2021 and 2023 seasons.

Tampa Bay, and all their play-makers, looked very good in their Week 1 win against the Commanders on Sunday, and seem primed to extend their streak to five consecutive seasons considering how bad the rest of the NFC South teams looked… again.

All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference unless stated otherwise.