Buccaneers insider discusses Todd Bowles hot seat rumors ahead of 2025 season

Discussions about whether or not Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles could find himself in jeopardy of losing his job seemingly pop up every summer before the start of a season. 

That trend will continue through August 2025, but Buccaneers insider Ira Kaufman of the JoeBucsFan website indicated during a recent appearance on Tampa Bay sports radio station WDAE that such talk is silly.

"Now look," Kaufman explained. "If [Bowles] crashes this year, then he’ll be in trouble in 2026, as he should be. He’s not getting fired. I don’t care what happens. I don’t think [Buccaneers ownership] would fire him this year even if they go 6-11."

The Buccaneers promoted Bowles from his role as defensive coordinator shortly after Bruce Arians shockingly stepped down as head coach of the club in March 2022. Bowles has since become somewhat of a polarizing figure among Tampa Bay fans, as he has achieved success but also come up short in the playoffs. 

The Buccaneers claimed the division title in each of Bowles' first three seasons in charge. That said, his Tampa Bay squads have gone 1-3 in postseason play. 

In January, rumors surfaced suggesting that the Buccaneers wanted to hold onto offensive coordinator Liam Coen because he could eventually serve as the replacement for Bowles. However, Coen ultimately left Tampa Bay to become the head coach of the Jacksonville Jaguars. 

The Buccaneers promoted Josh Grizzard from pass game coordinator to offensive coordinator following Coen's departure, and it's far too early to say if Grizzard could be seen as Tampa Bay's head-coach-in-waiting.

Since last fall, multiple stories have linked the Buccaneers with none other than North Carolina Tar Heels football head coach Bill Belichick. Belichick is still 15 wins away from breaking Don Shula's NFL record for career victories by a head coach (regular season and postseason combined), and the buyout attached to his contract dropped from $10M to $1M after June 1. It's unknown if the 73-year-old would have any interest in leaving North Carolina for Tampa Bay this coming January. 

As of Monday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Buccaneers as the betting favorites at +100 odds to win the NFC South title for the upcoming season. Such forecasts could lead one to believe Bowles could be facing a "playoffs or bust" mandate regarding his job, but Kaufman seems convinced that's not the case.