National Chatter Continues Regarding Todd Bowles’ Job Security

January 17th, 2025

This kind of stuff happens, especially when the highest tiers of Bucs management fail to clear the air.

Is Todd Bowles safe in his job for 2025? Joe has said emphatically that he is. Sage of Tampa Bay Sports Ira Kaufman has reported the same.

Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht praised the Bucs’ “great coaching” this season before kickoff Sunday against the Commanders.

Oh yeah, and the Bucs won the NFC South for the third consecutive year under Bowles.

Still, respected national analysts continue a drumbeat questioning whether Bowles has firm ground under him.

Sports Illustrated NFL insider columnist Albert Breer, a guy Licht talks to every year, spoke out yesterday during a YouTube mailbag segment.

Breer was asked if “there’s any chance Todd Bowles is fired?” and “will the Bucs really let Liam Coen leave the building?

Breer’s opening response? “I think this is a fair question to ask.”

Breer continued: “Todd Bowles is on a four-year deal. This is one of those critical junctures in his contract where it’s, ‘Ok, like now, do you extend him?'”

You don’t want to send a head coach into a contract year, Breer added.

“Being at this juncture in the contract can force some of these hard discussions, and I think that’s part of where they’re at right now,” Breer said.

Joe will jump in and say it’s Joe’s understanding that Bowles has a fifth-year team option in his contract. What that actually means, Joe has no clue.

Breer said he thinks Bowles will be the 2025 head coach and suggested the Bucs will “do some sort of Band-Aid extension with Todd.”

Perhaps that means executing his fifth-year option now?

Regardless, Joe wonders why — for this pre-planned, pre-recorded segment — didn’t Breer just text Licht and ask for an answer and then share it. Perhaps he did? Perhaps he got no response? Perhaps Breer was just lazy.

Breer suggested the Bucs under Bowles have shown a ceiling as a top-8 team and the team has had discussions about what will change that.

That brings Joe to Mike Florio, the NBC Sports insider who has spoken directly with Baker Mayfield multiple times this season. Florio was on The Rich Eisen Show yesterday saying he thinks Bowles deserves another year but it’s plausible that Team Glazer will pull the rug out from under Bowles because of ownership history and other factors.

Maybe, just maybe, somebody at One Buc Palace will ask Adam Schefter or Ian Rapoport to post two sentences on social media saying Bowles is 100 percent the 2025 head coach.


Ira Kaufman Dives Very Deep On Defensive Issues, Fixes & Successes, Talks Todd Bowles Distortions And Realities, Final Washington Feedback, And More

47 Responses to “National Chatter Continues Regarding Todd Bowles’ Job Security”

  1. HC Grover Says:

    If Coen wants HC give it to him. Send Bowles packing.

  2. John Says:

    team loves todd and it shows, however he needs to be a lil more risk it or no biscuit. we should have went for it on 4th.

  3. The Dave Says:

    It’s pretty obvious, actually – they’re going to do the Raheem Morris bit again and let go of the veteran coach (Gruden/Bowles) for the hot young name (Morris/Coen). I think they’re just waiting to see if Coen gets offered a HC gig elsewhere before they pull the trigger. If they can keep the band together for another year, they will. If not, I think they cut Bowles loose and keep Coen. That offense hums, baby. Good offenses are hard to get, but a decent defense isn’t that difficult.

  4. HC Grover Says:

    For 5 million dollars I will love any coach in the world. I promise.

  5. BallHawk75 Says:

    Joe says:

    Maybe, just maybe, somebody at One Buc Palace will ask Adam Schefter or Ian Rapoport to post two sentences on social media saying Bowles is 100 percent the 2025 head coach.

    Translation: Please anyone, someone say that Bowles should remain the head coach. Even though the defense is trash and can’t stop a wet paper bag if thrown in the air. I beg you!

    28-27

  6. jimmy Says:

    The bucs didnt just have some “things” that need “cleanup” on defense….. if anyone has any quotes of Bowles taking some responsibility for the shoddy defense this year I’m all ears.

    i’m probably just hearing and remembering what i want….but now Bowles is going to start in on conditioning, what they do in the offseason, head up their @ss, cant communicate, cant “clean up” little things. always something wrong with the players, never the DC.

    i dont expect the bucs to get rid of bowles outright.

  7. gotbbucs Says:

    What does his defense do well besides sell out every game to stop the run as if it’s still 1995? Stopping the run is great if you can then get off the field on 3rd down, which is hard to do when your scheme calls for Anthony Nelson and Yaya Diaby to cover the curl to flat in pass coverage.

  8. BallHawk75 Says:

    The Dave hits the nail on the head.

    Glazers are insane if they let Coen walk and keep Bowles.

    We’ve only won titles under offensive minded HC’s.

    At least Dungy could actually get the defense to a championship level.

    He too was just too pedestrian on offense to get over the hump.

    Bowles has never been that type of DC and never will be.

    Fire him now!!!

  9. Pahpahmike Says:

    I am with Joe as he wrote a couple of days ago. I don’t think the Glazers will make a not really sure of a move like firing Bowles as HC and replacing him with Coen as HC. Coen is not proven as a HC. OC, Coen has been pretty good this year. Just look around the league for the past 2 years not many of those top ( hot) assistants who got jobs in that time period are still HCs. My thoughts are, and these are just my thoughts. The Bucs will pick up Bowles fifth year opinion make Coen a high paid OC and take it from there

  10. Defense Rules Says:

    I agree with you Joe that Todd Bowles is safe for 2025. Just guessing, but if I had to put money down, I think that the Glazers will do a deal with Coen to make him a highly-paid 2025 ‘HC-in-waiting’ and that Bowles will become a Bucs ‘consultant’ after this season, with Coen taking over in 2026.

    Bucs have survived 3 years under TB of some very dibilitating salary CAP restrictions, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Bucs are NOT a Top-8 team IMO, but we are a Top-16 team (the Top-8 teams far as I’m concerned are Buffalo, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Kansas City, Philadelphia, Detroit, Minnesota & Green Bay or Denver). We can play all of those Top-8 teams close, but they all have a defense that’s considerably better than ours (ranked from #2 to #11).

    For us to move up into that top tier, we must upgrade our defense considerably. Far as I’m concerned, that starts with hiring a highly-qualified DC, and then focusing our free agent & draft picks on defense. I don’t personally think that LVD will return for another year, but I hope that I’m wrong. Regardless, we need at least 2 starting ILBs (plus 1 backup), 1 starting CB (plus 2 backups), 1 backup safety, 1 starting OLB, and 1 backup DT … as a minimum. That’s 4 starters plus 5 backups. I wish I believed that would happen in 2025, but I don’t. But it might over a 2-year timespan.

  11. Durango 95 Says:

    Is ownership even listening to its fan base. Genuinely hard to tell. How they can let this guy continue is amazing. Must be listening to the squawking coming from a small, but vocal minority of those that want to keep repeating the same cycle of mediocrity.

  12. Rod Munch Says:

    “You don’t want to send a head coach into a contract year”

    ————–

    I always find this line of reasoning beyond stupid. I think it’s a line put out by agents and repeated by their mouthpieces in the media. Bowles is very much a meh type of coach. If he was in any other division, other than maybe the AFC South, the Bucs aren’t playoff teams these past years and he’s fired.

    I’m not as down on Bowles as some, but still, I’m keeping Coen 100 out of 100 times over Bowles. Issue is Coen would also want to keep the job, and it would likely be uncomfortable if he was offered a job elsewhere, then told he can stay in Tampa but you’re firing the guy who hired him. I think Coen in that situation would just take the other job, and the Bucs would be stuck with Bowles and hoping he can once again pull another OC rabbit out of his hat (which, at this point, I wouldn’t bet against).

  13. heyjude Says:

    In agreement.

    Todd is safe for the next season.

  14. BucsBeast Says:

    Retain Coen SOMEHOW.
    If he can do it again in 25′.
    Let Bowles ride out his 4 year contract.
    Give Coen the HC spot.
    See if Bowles is interested in retirement or wants to be a DC.
    Todd does a lot better as strictly a DC.

  15. LakelandSteve Says:

    I think the constant speculation that Bowles may still get fired has to do with the history of the Glazers and Bucs head coaches. I think Jon Gruden was fired about three weeks after the Bucs last game of the year. Also Tony Dungy who brought the Bucs to prominence was fired after losing in the wildcard round in the playoffs. There is some history with the owners of the Bucs and coaching changes whether you agree with their decision not.

  16. Fred McNeil Says:

    My first choice would be to keep Todd and Coen, but make Bowles hire a defensive coordinator.
    I’m kinda torn between letting Todd go if it would be the only way to keep Coen and simply keeping Todd anyway, but make him hire a defensive coordinator as well as a new offensive coordinator. Either way: Bowles needs to concentrate on running the game. Let someone else run the defense. And for God’s sake: stop dropping our OLBs in pass coverage. Geez!

  17. Tye Says:

    1st of all, Bowels hasn’t and won’t ever see the NFCS title game as a HC….

    Winning season because of strong offense though his defense is weak…

    Won 3 Nfcs titles BECAUSE 3 other teams were lousy and still struggled against 2 of the and swept by Falcons ..

    The word I hear that makes most since is the office doesn’t fully back Bowels but concerned about the backlash of firing him after winning 3 3 titles….

    Odds are he won’t do it a 4th giving them legit reason to fire him and move on….

    The only glitch is may lose Coen…
    I think the owners are ready to move on already so Bowels is a lame duck coach 2025!

  18. Fred McNeil Says:

    Lakeland Steve, yeah, that’s certainly a Glazerism. I don’t see it this year.
    Now last year I wanted Bowles gone till he beat the crap outta the Eagles in the wildcard game and stood tall against the Lions. This year we had to deal with a better than expected Redskins, but the loss was not all Todd’s fault. We need to do something with that secondary and we have absolutely nobody left at ILB except a guy who’s 35.

  19. Usedtocould Says:

    Let baker run the team like Brady did

  20. Fred McNeil Says:

    And SirVocea Dennis??? I doubt it. Not unless we play underwear football all year long.

  21. Buc in VA Says:

    Bowles didn’t fumble the jet sweep. hand that off cleanly, gain 15-30 yards. Game probably over. Bowles didn’t screw that up. And that’s the margin in the playoffs. Make the handoff. Win the game. Not so much barking about Bowles.

  22. Hearty Dikerson Says:

    I don’t understand this article, Joe. You and Ira report Bowles is safe without offering any context, sources or further details.

    Yet you then criticize these national reporters for being lazy and questioning why they don’t simply ask Licht or provide a direct quote on what they hear.

    So if you have intel, why don’t you do that?

    For the record, nobody criticized anyone for being lazy. That’s not what is written above. … Joe and Ira have plenty of intel and spoke based on that. That doesn’t mean Joe has permission to quote sources, or that the NFL isn’t a fluid, real-time business that can shift on a dime at times. –Joe

  23. Davenport Says:

    Being a good OC doesn’t necessarily equate to being a good HC so Coen is an unknown. I doubt they bounce Bowels to give Coen the job.

    That said, if Coen gets the Jags job, Bowels has to go in favor of a full reset. Hiring a new OC for what might be a one year hitch makes no sense.

  24. NYbucsfan Says:

    That’s because he sucks. 10 of the teams we played this year in the regular season had losing records so excuse me for not getting all excited because he beat teams we should. His clock management sucks his defense sucks. On the Ira Kaufman podcast the other day you guys talked about the team like it was the offense’s fault, but the defense didn’t force a punt in allowed them to run 60-some plays against us. It’s hard for the offense to win a game when they never have the ball. Our schedule doesn’t look to be charm soft next year so toilet bowls about to get exposed.

  25. DBS Says:

    I75

  26. Marky mark Says:

    Coen list the commanders game by calling a risky trick play backed up against your own goal. Let him walk. Bring on Alex Van Pelt.

  27. Bartow Buc Says:

    Todd Bowles is safe because his management style matches up with the players of this generation. The team will do anything for him. Also he has an excellent record by winning the NFC South for three straight seasons !!
    Coach Bowles has demonstrated the ability to hire exceptional offensive coordinators Canales/Coen. He should use the same abilities and hire an excellent defensive coordinator!!

    Go Bucs !!

  28. 2 thumbs up Says:

    These interviews with rookie Offensive Coordinators for head coaching positions just goes to show you how desperate teams are. There are so few good head coaches in the NFL and it’s a crap shoot selecting a green OC…..but it’s the way of the attrition of head coaches in the big league. I would venture to guess that if the Bucs let Bowles go he wouldn’t have any trouble finding another head NFL position. On paper his resume with the Bucs would look pretty good to one of these bottom feeding teams. So we replace him with Coen whose head coaching resume is blank….it’s a gamble for sure.

  29. Joe in Michigan Says:

    We watch the games, please don’t insult our intelligence by calling what we saw from Todd Bowles this year “great coaching”. If it was great coaching, the backups would’ve been ready to play. Great coaching is putting the players in the best position to succeed, and having Anthony Nelson in coverage is the opposite of that. If a coach doesn’t seem to think that an outside pass rush is of the utmost importance, I honestly don’t know if there’s help for that coach.

  30. GoneGator Says:

    Liam’s experience managing and coaching an entire football team is ZERO.

    As a play caller at the professional level he has 1 year of experience and in spite of cries to the contrary the offense was inconsistent, mistake prone at crucial moments and never established an identity that it stuck with. He’s a work in progress as an O.C., not a brilliant head coaching candidate like some have been saying all year.

    He’ll be back next year. It’s his best play career wise. I’d be surprised if he’s even seriously interviewed for more than the Jags opening.

    We’re playing catch up to Detroit. More $, more talent, particularly on the D side next year and we’ll be very close.

  31. Tbbucs3 Says:

    Bowles is the Bucs coach for at least one more year…

    Deal with it.

    Lets end this useless distraction cause it doesnt help the team

  32. Tbbucs3 Says:

    Im sure the players “love” going on social media and constantly seeing fans and media still whining about their head coach who they’ve publicly stated they have absolutely no problem with.

  33. Greg Says:

    I am going to guess the following out of my imagination:

    The recent chatter means that the Glazers told Bowles through the management office that he needed to make some changes to the staff, add a DC and change out some of the assistants. Bowles pushed back. This messaging in the public space is designed to let him know that they aren’t going to have another season of almosts.

    This kind of thing is pretty common in negotiations at this level. I don’t think they want to can him. I think they just want to get his attention and move his stubborness to do the right thing. There is a reason the D is collapsing. Bowles need to focus his attention on leading the team as a whole and leave off Defense. There have been a few coaches that could coordinate and coach the team. Clearly, Bowles is not one of them.

  34. Chad Says:

    Todd’s security depends on Liam, if jags offer him the head coach job then glazers will fire Todd and offer Liam the same position with a much better team. That’s how you keep Liam

  35. Bartow Buc Says:

    There have been a few coaches that could coordinate and coach the team. Clearly, Bowles is not one of them.

    Greg yes ! this is becoming clear. Successful head coaches have both offensive and defensive coordinators. Therefore the HC has a birds-eye view of the team. I think this is a better move than replacing Coach Bowles at this time. Why ? Because the Bucs are right where they need to be and just need a little nudge to get over the hump and into the Championship game !!

    Go Bucs !!!

  36. BallHawk75 Says:

    Joe will never be able to answer this question:

    If Bowles was suddenly unemployed, how many teams would seriously want to hire him as their HC?

    I would like to know your honest opinion.

    Thanks

  37. Gipper Says:

    Todd Bowles isn’t going anywhere. The defense needs a complete overhaul including a new DC. That is going to happen via the draft, trades and free agents. Everyone knows that the defensive product was substandard this year. Bowles will get a year to fix it. There will be 5 new defenders in the 2025 season. Pretty sure that Licht has talked to Bowles and will insist on hiring a top notch DC.

  38. Pewter Power Says:

    How the hell do you not have good corners and you have smoke Evans and Chris Godwin every offseason. A defensive coach can’t have a bad defense. NFL world doesn’t care that he had to deal with injuries just like no one including Bucs fans cared that the win against the Eagles came when they were without their top two receivers. A 90 man roster and Bowles decides the 53, if there is a weakness it’s the head coaches job to tell the gm BEFORE the season starts. Bowles apparently has confidence in those back ups so no excuses that’s why you have training camp and preseason.

  39. Bucs4Ever Says:

    bowles is a known quantity

    there is more than enough data to draw a conclusion

    he is very average overall

    the results say that not me

    we can probably do math that says winning that division vs other divisions is very average overall

    LMK

  40. LUVMYBUCS Says:

    While the national media fixates on our Head Coach’s future, former NFL coaches—those who truly know the game—are pulling no punches—are pointing the finger at Liam Coen. A series of boneheaded short-yardage decisions, they argue, cost us a playoff victory.

  41. Obvious Says:

    I thought it was a five year deal. The fact that he’s going into his last year and hasn’t been given an extension yet or option picked up, while Coen is interviewing elsewhere tells you all you need to know.

    I would assume the Glazers are waiting to see if Coen is offered a job before they decide what to do.

    That’s actually good news.

  42. BucsFanSince1996 Says:

    Durango 95 Says:
    Is ownership even listening to its fan base. Genuinely hard to tell. How they can let this guy continue is amazing. Must be listening to the squawking coming from a small, but vocal minority of those that want to keep repeating the same cycle of mediocrity.
    ————————————————————————————–
    I have no doubt they listen to their fan base. But they also listen to their GM and other front office staff.

    If I owned the team I wouldn’t be happy with our defense this year but switching out the DC/HC isn’t the only way to improve it.

    Improving personnel via the draft and free agency as well as switching out some of the defensive coaching staff can dramatically improve the quality of the defense.

    I love Coen and would send a Brinks truck filled with cash over to him to retain him another year if that’s what it takes. But it’s risky promoting him immediately to HC. He has no HC experience in the NFL and there’s no guarantee he’d be good with it. Plus it would take some of his attention away from the offense which I’m hesitant to do. I believe that’s one of the things hurting Bowles. Promoting him to HC from DC had to take some of his time away from the defense. I believe he’d be better on defense if his full attention were on defense. He was masterful as a DC when going up against the Chiefs in the SuperBowl.

  43. ATrain Says:

    Joe your right Bowles is safe Glazers won’t fire him as long as his contract is in and he is wining division.

    I think Bowles does not have it to be a HC

    Bowles has been on two teams under .500 total
    Bowles has only one playoff win

    He took over a superbowl team with the GOAT at QB and had a losing season

    Bowles is not a HC

    But the Bucs won’t fire him. NO WAY

  44. DBS Says:

    If Coen leaves either the Glazers offer him more money or he gets replaced. But he won’t be handed the HC job .

  45. LUVMYBUCS Says:

    Per Bill Belichick, 8x Super Bowl-winning Coach:

    
“They fumble a handoff on a jet sweep-action play. That really didn’t have anything to do with the defense. Then they [butcher] another short-yardage play and screw up the handoff, get stopped, and end up settling for a field goal. That didn’t have anything to do with Washington’s defense. It was just bad football.”

    Per Jon Gruden, Super Bowl Champion (XXXVII):


    “I’m just disgusted. As you said, failing to hand the ball off on your own 12-yard line—you deserve to lose. Then it’s 3rd and 1, you try to get tricky with some kind of hard count, you lose four yards, and it costs you another four points. Horrible.”

    Per Dave Wannstedt, Super Bowl Champion (XXVII):

    “I need to see these guys, you know—experienced coordinators over the years—so I can evaluate how they handle these situations. Liam Coen? I was disappointed at the end of that Tampa Bay game. You do a snap count—that should never happen. There were a couple of things in that game that stood out to me, and honestly, they make me nervous. It shows inexperience from my point of view.”

  46. firethecannons Says:

    There is a ceiling with Bowles as head coach and that is we are lucky to make the playoffs but cannot perform once there. We have had a defense this entire time of the Bowles era that is not a strength. Every year we draft edge rushers and they very rarely get home. We are way down on the list of interceptions. Against Washington they could not get off the field and Dan Quinn played his cards perfectly and Bowles as usual was powerless on sideline. Bowles has had his coaches, his players and his schemes and has not worked well. We finally have a running offense and move the chains routinely. We have to keep Coen at all costs even if it means that Bowles has to go. So what is best is 1 more year of Todd Bowles and Licht drafts all rounds defense and signs Maxxx Crosby in FA, and we keep Coen as OC. That would be best and losing the Washington game with offensive mistakes made may end up being what makes Coen not the “perfect” candidate that Jacksonville wants.Lets hope!

  47. Hodad Says:

    Are Frick, and Frack Glazer ever coming out of their bunker, and giving us their thoughts on the season? Their silence is deafening.

 

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