The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are going to have a new head coach next season. Tampa also expects to bring back Jameis Winston in 2019, according to reports.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are likely going to move on from head coach Dirk Koetter on Monday.
Rapoport has had no firm word on the move, but the strong feeling is that Tampa will undergo another head coaching search after a disappointing season.
Koetter’s tenure will end without a playoff appearance and a disappointing sub .500 finish. His best season came back in 2016 where the upstart Bucs narrowly missed out on the playoffs.
Since then, Tampa has sat in the cellar of the NFC South as their playoff drought has extended to over a decade.
No word yet on potential candidates, but the Glazer family will have plenty of options. Former head coaches like Mike McCarthy and Bruce Arians will be on the market along with a litany of up-and-coming coordinators.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter also reported that the Bucs intend to keep quarterback Jameis Winston around in 2019.
The fourth-year quarterback is due $20 million next season as Tampa exercised his fifth-year option earlier in 2018.
With no other options at quarterback, Winston should get one more opportunity to solidify himself as the franchise’s starting quarterback. A new coaching staff may have more success with Winston, who continues to flash the talent that made him the number one pick of the 2015 NFL Draft.
On the season, Winston has thrown for 2,647 yards, 15 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions.
Winston has shown some signs of improvement in his second stint as the starter, but it hasn’t translated to wins.
On the surface, Winston’s 2019 campaign will make or break his career in Tampa Bay. With a new coaching staff in tow, he will have to prove that he is worth building the team around.
If not, the Buccaneers will continue their 40-year search for a franchise quarterback.