Even with his Buccaneers below .500, head coach Todd Bowles doesn’t appear to be going anywhere.
That’s according to a new report Sunday from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, who suggested the fourth-year coach will remain in his post even after a brutal slide that saw his team drop from 6-2 to 7-9, citing his past success.
“Todd Bowles received a three-year contract extension before the season. He is under contract through 2028,” Rapoport said before Tampa Bay’s loss to the Dolphins on Sunday. “They’ve won three straight division titles and still have a possibility of winning their fourth. Does that, [Rich], sound like someone who should be in trouble? I would say certainly not.”
The Buccaneers’ former defensive coordinator, Bowles was elevated to head coach ahead of the 2022 season after Bruce Arians transitioned to a consultant role within the organization.
Although the Buccaneers have won four straight NFC South titles since 2021 — three consecutive under Bowles — questions about the 62-year-old coach’s future percolated in the second half of the season, when the team lost seven of eight games following an early November bye.
Bowles then erupted on the team earlier this month following a narrow 29-28 loss to the division rival Falcons.
“You got to f–king care enough where the s–t hurts,” he said. “You got to f–king care enough where the s–t hurts. It got to f–king mean something to you. It’s more than a job, it’s your f–king livelihood. How well do you know your job? How well can you do your job? You can’t sugarcoat that s–t.”
Tampa Bay trailed Carolina in the division entering Sunday’s 1 p.m. slate of games.
With both teams now closing out Week 17 with losses, all eyes will be on next weekend’s season finale in Tampa, where the rivals will battle it out with the NFC South on the line. The loser will miss the playoffs.
Carolina last won the division title in 2015.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
