Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles’ job security turned all the more uncertain on Sunday when the Atlanta Falcons nixed the team’s playoff hopes.
The Buccaneers finished 8-9 after a 14-16 win over the Carolina Panthers with a chance at a division title, but Tampa Bay needed a New Orleans Saints win over the Falcons to claim the NFC South and make the playoffs. Despite the disappointment and ongoing fan displeasure over Bowles, his job appears safe for the moment since he will do the end-of-season press conference on Monday.
That doesn’t normally happen on “Black Monday,” when numerous NFL head coaches and general managers get fired after disappointing regular seasons. The Glazer family, owners of the Buccaneers, allowing for Bowles to conduct the final press conference could mean no firing or that ownership is taking time to make a final decision.
Bowles has a 35-33 record with the Buccaneers in four seasons, and he has three NFC South titles and a 1-3 record in the playoffs. This season, however, started all the more promising at 6-2 before the team flatlined amid injuries with a 2-7 finish.
Just because Bowles makes it past “Black Monday,” that doesn’t ensure his job is safe. The Buccaneers fired Lovie Smith on a Wednesday in 2016 after the team went 6-10.
NFL Insider Says Todd Bowles is Safe
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter indicated that Bowles’ job is secure despite the downturn in the second half of the season.
“The Buccaneers’ owners do not want to make a change. They want to keep Todd Bowles, and the feeling around the league is, ultimately, that they will keep them,” Schefter said during NFL Countdown on Sunday. “We are leaning safe on Todd Bowles staying in Tampa, but let’s see how it works out.”
Bowles served as the defensive coordinator for the Buccaneers from 2019 to 2021, when the team won the Super Bowl in the 2020 season. He moved up internally after the retirement of former head coach Bruce Arians at his recommendation.
What Didn’t Work in 2026
It wasn’t just the injuries.
The Buccaneers never truly righted the ship when injured star wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, plus running back Bucky Irving returned to action. Tampa Bay’s offense struggled with 22.4 points per game, and the annual change in offensive coordinator with Josh Grizzard didn’t work out this time around.
Former Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen, now the Jacksonville Jaguars head coach, had the offense clicking a year ago at 29.5 points per game for fifth in the league. The Buccaneers had the same offensive core back in 2025 with a star rookie wide receiver in Emeka Egbuka, but couldn’t produce similar results.
Defense, a hallmark under Bowles, didn’t shine this year. The Buccaneers gave up 24.2 points per game, for 20th in the league.
That contributed to the Buccaneers’ six losses by one score this season, and Tampa Bay gave up 30 or more points in two other losses for 2025. Conversely, the Buccaneers were ninth for takeaways this season but were one of two top-10 teams that didn’t make the postseason.
New Detail Emerges on Todd Bowles’ Job Security