The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are starting to realize that they are running up against a ceiling when it comes to being able to push through and rank themselvs as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. Althuogh some people will have you think that the ceiling is ruled by quarterback Baker Mayfield, most Buccaneers fans are starting to see that Todd Bowles is the real issue holding them back.
Bowles is a solid enough defensive coordinator, though even his prowess on that side of the ball has to be called into question. But the real issue is that Bowles is too conservative. He can't come up with creative solutions to help a team, he's never been particularly strong at developing players, and he often loses games because takes the ball out of his star players' hands and punts.
After a career of mediocrity as a head coach, Bowles stepped into the Buccaneers head coaching position, and although he's had winning records in Tampa Bay, the organization are still treading water under his leadership. And this season, Bowles is being exposed a bit more. So here are three younger, bolder, and better coaches who could make the jump as an NFL head coach and replace Bowles on the Bucs in 2026.
Los Angeles Rams DC Chris Shula
The grandson of one of the greatest coaches of all time, former Miami Dolphins head man Don Shula, Chris Shula is one of two highly appetizing coordinator prospects in the fabled Sean McVay coaching tree for the rising Los Angeles Rams - arguably the strongest team in the NFC this season.
Shula has the Rams defense firing on all cylinders, totally outperforming expectations as the second best defense in the NFL in terms of turnovers forced and points allowed. If the Bucs want to stick with a defensive guru, Shula is clearly ready for the big time.
Detroit Lions DC Kelvin Sheppard
The same can be said for Kelvin Sheppard over the on the defensive side of the ball for the Detroit Lions. Although the Lions recently lost their marquee Sunday Night Football matchup to the reigning Super Bowl champions, the Philadelphia Eagles, that honestly was down to an inexcusably horrific performance from Jared Goff, who squandered an incredible display from this Lions defense.
And it is the defense, not the overrated Goff, who are most responsible for Detroit's rise in recent years. A former NFL linebacker, Sheppard is a charismatic defensive genius who maximizes his personnel, nurtures young talent, and has his team playing with a perfect edge. The Bucs defense needs to get nastier and create more turnovers, and Sheppard already looks like a much better coach than Bowles.
Seattle Seahawks OC Klint Kubiak
Another relative of a famous head coach, Klint Kubiak is a former college football player and the son of Gary Kubiak, who was a great coach for the Houston Texans before winning a Super Bowl with an all time great Denver Broncos defense (and a completely washed Peyton Manning).
The younger Kubiak is doing brilliant things for the Seattle Seahawks offense. He has helped Sam Darnold become a legitimate MVP candidate, while Jaxson Smith-Njgiba is the best wide receiver in the NFL. Kubiak knows how to build an offense that spreads the wealth while maximizing the superstars, and he strikes the right balance between run and pass. He is 100 times the play caller that Josh Grizzard is, and whlie he is as mellow as Bowles, he is much, much more cutthroat. Kubiak could be a great hire for Tampa Bay, especially if they want to get better offensively and help Mayfield out more.