The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 0-4 and the question is more about when the team will fire head coach Todd Bowles, not if the team is going to fire him. While Bowles status is all but secured, there is an argument for having him finish out the season as the head coach.
As Joshua Quiepo of Pewter Report argues, the Bucs have no strong interim options, and they might as well let Bowles play out the string, leading the team to a higher draft pick.
“This coaching staff lacks a former head coach who can stop the bleeding and bring some type of respectability to the operation,” wrote Quiepo. “Riding Bowles to a top-three pick in the 2027 NFL Draft may be the best path forward for a season that already looks lost. Giving the next head coach that type of capital may be the easiest way to bounce back from worst-to-first in a single offseason.”
Typically, teams will move on from a head coach to give a rising head coach on the staff a look as the interim. However, the Bucs are going to reset the entire staff after the season, and there is not much any of the current coordinators can do to turn things around and turn the interim into a head coach tag.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Could Keep Todd Bowles
The Bucs could turn to a coordinator, and it could end up being a disaster. It could set back the progression of some players and make them learn and unlearn things that are not significant. The coordinator could also lead them to a couple of wins. They could play themselves out of a high draft pick, making the job less enticing for a new head coach.
Still, nothing Zac Robinson, George Edwards, or Larry Foote has done could warrant going from interim to head coach.
So, the Bucs could ride with Bowles. They will likely continue to lose; they will not disrupt any development, and they do not have to worry about the interim getting momentum towards being a head coach.
It does make sense to stick with Bowles.
Week 5 Could Determine Todd Bowles Status
Week 5 is a big time for the Bucs head coach. They play on Thursday Night Football, so it would be unfair to the players to move on from their coach after this latest loss. However, if the Bucs did want to make a firing, it would be after Week 5.
The Bucs are underdogs and expected to move to 0-5 on the season. They will have 10 days between games, which is longer than normal in the season. If the Bucs keep Bowles, there will not be a better time during the season. If they move on, it would be justified.
The question is which of the coordinators have earned the chance to be the interim. Zac Robinson has struggled in his first year as the Bucs’ play caller on offense. The Bucs have two coordinators beneath Bowles, and Bowles runs the defense. There are not great options.
Buccaneers Have Compelling Reasons Not to Fire Todd Bowles