If you had to place a bet on who the first coach fired would be, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles would be one of the first coaches mentioned. In the recent hot-seat check-in, done by Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report, Bowles joined Indianapolis Colts coach Shane Steichen and Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales as the three head coaches on the hottest seats.
Gagnon notes that the collapse to finish 2025, combined with a slow start in 2026, will make him a potential lame duck coach in the coming weeks.
“The Bucs have been quasi-contenders throughout Bowles’ four-year tenure there, but the ceiling is pretty low,” wrote Gagnon. “The wheels fell off down the stretch in 2025, leaving Bowles with zero margin for error in a 2026 campaign that started with a loss.”
Tampa Bay started the 2025 season 6-2. They have been 2-8 between the end of the 2025 season and the start of the 2026 season since then. Bowles needs to turn things around quickly.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach is on the Hot Seat
Bowles will always have a strong place in Bucs history. As a defensive coordinator, he helped revamp the group and lead the team to a Super Bowl in 2020. After the team lost in the 2021 playoffs, Bruce Arians retired and the team promoted their coordinator to head coach.
Unfortunately, they have been unable to match the heights they found with Arians.
The Bucs went 8-9 in their first season with Bowles. Still, they found a way to sneak into the playoffs due to a poor division. They were bounced in the first round, and Tom Brady retired the next year.
Bowles and the Bucs signed Baker Mayfield and went 9-8 the following season. They won a playoff game but were bounced in the Divisional Round. They went 10-7 the following season, but lost in their first playoff game.
The team has not been able to get back to that height since. The playoff loss led to the 2025 collapse and now an 0-1 start in 2026.
Buccaneers Already Tied to Former Super Bowl-Winning Head Coach
Even before the Bucs 0-1 start, there were rumors of the team moving on from him. The seat was hot entering the year, and that almost never ends well. So, Bowles could just be sealing his already-destined fate this year.
One coach who has been tied to the Bucs often already is Mike Tomlin. Tomlin retired from the Pittsburgh Steelers and is working with NBC on their pre-game coverage.
However, he has mentioned he is not closing doors to returning to the NFL to coach. Many compare him to Sean Payton, who retired for a year and returned to the Denver Broncos. If Tomlin came back, the Bucs would be a team that fits.
Tomlin started his career in Tampa Bay, working under Tony Dungy and Jon Gruden. The roster is already in place, which would likely intrigue Tomlin as well. Beyond that, Tomlin is familiar with quarterback Baker Mayfield, and Mayfield beat Tomlin’s Steelers in the 2020 playoffs.
The fit makes a lot of sense if the Bucs continue to flounder under Bowles.
Bucs HC Todd Bowles Put on Notice After Slow Start