When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers shook up their coaching staff this offseason, but kept head coach Todd Bowles in charge, the franchise was sending a clear message. That message is that Bowles is being given one more opportunity to get things right in Tampa Bay.
While Bowles did lead the Buccaneers to three straight division titles in his first three years as head coach, that streak ended last season and it landed him in the hot seat. The good news for the head coach is that Tampa Bay is still in the NFC South, an easily winnable division.
NFL writer Jordan Dajani pointed that out in a recent CBS Sports piece, ranking the five head coaches under the most pressure in 2026. Bowles was ranked second on the list, and his reason for optimism was that Tampa Bay is still clear favorites to win the NFC South, and arguably the most talented team in the division.
While that may be true, the bad news for Bowles is that winning the division probably won’t be enough to secure his future with the team.
Buccaneers will need to do a lot more than win the NFC South for Todd Bowles’ job to be safe
Again, Bowles has been the head coach in Tampa Bay for four seasons, and has three division crowns. The reason he found himself in the hot seat the very first time he missed the playoffs is because his NFC South wins haven’t been that dominant.
In 2022, the Bucs won the division with an 8-9 record, and lost in the first round of the playoffs. A year later, Bowles led the team to a 9-8 record, and Tampa Bay did manage to win one playoff game before being eliminated in the divisional round. Finally, in 2024, the team was 10-7, and again suffered a first round exit.
Truthfully, things were warming up for Bowles prior to the results of last season, but last year certainly cranked up the heat. That’s why winning the division, alone, won’t be enough to save Bowles’ job. The Buccaneers will need to put together a strong regular season, showing that they’re a class above a bad division, and they will have to follow that up with a deep playoff run.
Another mediocre season and first-round playoff exit wouldn’t be enough for Todd Bowles to build a convincing case that he should remain in charge.
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