The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are dealing with a wave of criticism after a social media post tied a recent Yellowstone bison attack to an NFL promo.
The video on X opened with footage from the incident before cutting to rookie receiver Tez Johnson finishing a flip. The team captioned it, “Flipping out because it’s almost football season 🔥.”
That drew immediate pushback from fans who thought the post crossed a line by linking a real injury to a football marketing clip.
The Yellowstone attack involved Carl Isom McDaniel, a 65-year-old grandfather from Washington, who was badly hurt on July 10 when a bull bison charged him at Yellowstone National Park. McDaniel had intentionally moved the animal away from his grandson before being hooked and thrown into the air. He later had surgery after breaking his femur in four places.
The reaction online was sharp. One fan wrote, “Nice!
This dude was 65, suffered broken bones and needed surgery. Making fun of him will bring bad mojo to the season, and after last year’s 2-7 run, that’s the last thing we need.
But hey, get your precious internet likes.”
Another said, “Horrible and very distasteful association using a man that suffered serious injuries while running for his life. Whoever decided to post this from the Bucs should be fired.”
Others were even blunter. “This is kinda f***ed up. Dude’s still in the hospital,” one fan wrote.
Another posted, “This is CRIMINAL. I hope grandpa sues.”
A separate fan called the post, “Such poor taste @Buccaneers. The man was seriously injured… smh.”
And one more wrote, “That’s just messed up, I hope y’all go 0-17 just for that”
The criticism matters for more than just the bad optics. According to The Washington Post, witness Mike MacLeod said his biggest concern after the attack was McDaniel’s grandson, who was badly shaken. The National Park Service also reminded visitors that “bison have injured more people in Yellowstone than any other animal.”
It also points to a bigger problem for NFL teams trying to win online attention. Quick-hit content can travel fast, but when the judgment is off, the backlash can take over the conversation. Clubs put a lot into public image and community trust, and posts that seem to joke about serious injuries can do real damage, intended or not.
The timing doesn’t help Tampa Bay either. The Buccaneers are coming off an 8-9 finish in 2026, missing the playoffs and losing the NFC South after a late collapse. With coaching changes and a revamped roster, the last thing the franchise needs is a social media controversy swallowing the football story.
Whether the post remains up or not, plenty of fans will remember it.
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