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Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.
If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers want to win another Super Bowl — and they definitely have the talent to do so — they need a better head coach.
The perfect head coach actually does exist for this group. Unfortunately, he’s employed by another team right now.
That doesn’t mean the Buccaneers can’t get the wheels turning in hopes of bringing Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin to their sideline within the next year and giving current head coach Todd Bowles his inevitable and well deserved walking papers.
Most of the complications around hiring Tomlin pertain to getting out of his contract, although it’s really not that complicated. The Buccaneers would simply have to be willing to pay up.
Precedent for Trading for Head Coach
If the Buccaneers want Tomlin in 2026, they would have to give up some compensation in exchange for him — even if he steps down after this season.
Tomlin’s contract has a team option that comes up in March which would extend his contract to 2027, which they would be smart to do because so many teams probably would be interested in him. Either way, no matter what, if the Buccaneers want him to be their coach in 2026 they’d have to give up draft picks for him.
It would be similar to the deal done by the Denver Broncos to get their current head coach, Sean Payton, who was still under contract with the New Orlean Saints when the Broncos hired him in 2023. That cost the Broncos their 2023 first round pick and 2024 second round pick for Payton and a 2024 third round pick.
The Buccaneers could be expected to give up something similar in exchange for Tomlin.
It wouldn’t be the first time the Buccaneers have traded for a head coach, either.
In 2002, the Buccaneers sent the Oakland Raiders their 2002 and 2003 first round picks, 2002 and 2004 second round picks and $8 million in cash in exchange for head coach Jon Gruden.
The result? One year later the 39-year-old Gruden became the youngest head coach to win a Super Bowl — a record which would be broken by a 36-year-old Tomlin just 6 years later.
Bowles vs. Tomlin Isn’t Really the Question
The question isn’t really if the Buccaneers should keep Bowles instead of making the bold move to get Tomlin. Bowles has shown repeatedly that he doesn’t have what it takes to be anything more than an average NFL head coach.
Tomlin is a Super Bowl winner who is one of the most respected head coaches in NFL history — someone who hasn’t had a losing record in 18 seasons as the head coach of the Steelers.
Why would Tomlin leave? Things have become stagnant in Pittsburgh, where the Steelers haven’t won a playoff game in 8 years, and sometimes it’s just nice to get a fresh start somewhere. Which is kind of what moving to Florida is all about.
The furor over getting rid of Bowles might reach a fever pitch if the Buccaneers fall apart down the stretch — they’ve lost 3 of their last 4 games to drop into a tie for first place with the Carolina Panthers in the NFC South Division.
“An absolutely unnecessary loss by the Buccaneers,” Buccaneers fan Michael Janiszewski wrote on his official X account. “HC Todd Bowles needs to be fired immediately. He can not coach this team through the whole season. Every year we come out looking strong, and then we get a mid season slump. If you can’t keep your teams momentum throughout the whole season, you have no business being head coach.”
Tony Adame covers the NFL for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Washington Commanders, Dallas Cowboys, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles and Denver Broncos. A veteran sports writer and editor since 2004, his work has been featured at Stadium Talk, Yardbarker, NW Florida Daily News and Pensacola News Journal. More about Tony Adame
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