It’s no secret that Todd Bowles is on one of the hottest seats in the NFL. That’s been the case since this past offseason, and the arguement could be made that it’s been hot ever since he replaced Bruce Arians back in the winter of 2022.
Bowles crafted the second-coming of an iconic Buccaneers defense and fans — no matter how much the dislike him now — will forever be indebted to him. Since then, things haven’t really gone according to plan and we’ve reached the point where a head coaching change is being actively talked about among fans.
Whether ownership is having the same conversation is yet to be seen.
If that does happen, logic would suggest Bowles is replaced by an offensive-minded coach who can help reinvigorate the Bucs attack. Not since 2021, the final year of the Brady Era in the eyes of many, has the offense looked good.
Last year the run game was the worst in the league, and the offense never seemed to find a rhythm and create momentum. That’s a trend that has carried over into this season, despite replacing Byron Leftwich with Dave Canales.
Given how some of the best teams in the league — Miami, San Francisco, and Kansas City — have offensive savants at head coach, it makes sense that teams with openings will try to copy that approach. According to one NFL insider, it’s easier said than done.
Don’t get your hopes up the Bucs hire an offensive guru as head coach
During the NFL on CBS pregame show, insider Jonathan Jones noted that there could be as many as eight head coaching vacancies this offseason, with an extremely limited number of offensive coaches to fill the gap.
It could be that teams, like the Buccaneers, look to defensive coaches who can then hire an savvy offensive coordinator to run that side of the ball.
“There’s no shoo-in at offensive coordinator after Detroit’s Ben Johnson. Owners may turn their attention to proven defensive coaches who are creative and strategic, so Dan Quinn and Steve Wilks should be at the top of the list,” Jones reported. “How about an Aaron Glenn, a Lou Anarumo, or a Leslie Fraizer.”
Insert the ‘Michael Scott Don’t Like That’ meme here, as that’s essentially the feeling most Bucs fans will have upon hearing another defensive-minded head coach could replace Bowles. Suggestions that Mike Tomlin could replace Bowles were met with angst and rejection from a vocal portion of the fan base, so the idea of Dan Quinn returning to the NFC South to coach the Bucs probably won’t go over well.
Finding a good offensive coach is hard, though. For every Shanahan, McDaniels, and McVay there are Magnini’s, Hackett’s, and McAdoo’s. A key difference there is the latter group parlayed working with legendary quarterbacks into head coaching gigs where the former has a much more sustained rise up the ranks.
Which category does Ben Johnson fall under? Could Eric Bieniemy be a dark horse candidate if the Bucs want an offensive genius, or would be also fall under the spell of simply having worked with a generational talent?
Firing Bowles is a cathartic thought, but it’s unclear how far out the the current lane Tampa Bay will veer if it tried to replace him.