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Buccaneers’ owner Joel Glazer kept it real when discussing Todd Bowles’ standing as the team’s head coach
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are fresh off a disappointing 2025 campaign that saw the team throw away a massive lead atop the NFC South division and miss the playoffs entirely. The team has felt the sting of their struggles early in the offseason, as they have lost veterans like Mike Evans and Jamel Dean early on in free agency.
One of the moves the Bucs did not make, though, involved head coach Todd Bowles. Rather than firing him after he witnessed Tampa Bay’s collapse firsthand, team owner Joel Glazer opted to retain him for the 2026 season. Glazer’s decision was rather surprising, and he recently issued some eye-opening comments when discussing Bowles’ standing as the team’s head coach moving forward.
Joel Glazer Addresses Buccaneers’ Collapse Under Todd Bowles
The 2025 season got off to a great start for the Buccaneers, as they managed to win six of their first eight games. Even though the team, particularly the offense, dealt with a slew of injuries, Tampa Bay kept on finding ways to win, as it handed quality opponents like the Seattle Seahawks, San Francisco 49ers, and Houston Texans defeats during this stretch.
Over the next nine games, though, the Bucs managed to win just two games, and they missed the playoffs after the Carolina Panthers stole the division from them. In an ironic twist of fate, Tampa Bay actually played worse the healthier it got. Losing games to lowly opponents like the Miami Dolphins, New Orleans Saints, and Atlanta Falcons made the sting of this development even worse for the Buccaneers.
All eyes turned to Bowles after the season ended, as it seemed like there was a real chance he would get fired by Glazer. Instead, he opted to keep Bowles in town, allowing him to revamp his coaching staff for the upcoming year. When asked about the decision, Glazer believes that injuries and other issues caused more problems for the team than Bowles’ coaching.
“Everybody has injuries, but I think we had some significant challenges we had to deal with last year,” Glazer said, per Matt Matera of Pewter Report. “It was unfortunate down the stretch – frustrating down the stretch – but you see week in and week out, this team plays hard for Todd [Bowles]. Nobody lays down. You have the odd game where things don’t quite go your way, but every game until the final whistle, these players are fighting, fighting, fighting.”
Is Todd Bowles on the Hot Seat Entering the 2026 Campaign?
GettyTampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles.
Bowles has made enough of an impact on Tampa Bay during his four years with the team that he has managed to hold onto his job for the time being, but nothing is guaranteed heading into 2026. At this point, it feels like the Bucs need to find their way to the postseason in order for Bowles to hold onto his job past this season, and even a loss in the wild-card round may not be enough to save him.
The stakes are high for Bowles, and he seems to know that he is coaching for his job this upcoming season. A new-look coaching staff will hopefully provide the answers for this team, and the roster is still coming together after a busy first wave of free agency. Bowles may have survived one nightmare season, but he’s going to be pushing his luck if a similar scenario unfolds next year.
Owen Crisafulli Owen Crisafulli is an Email Newsletter Editor & Breaking News Writer at Heavy Sports. His work has also appeared on ClutchPoints, Sports Illustrated, The Sporting News, Athlon Sports, NESN Basketball Network, and FanSided, where he shared his insights on a variety of sports topics primarily surrounding the NFL, NBA, and MLB. More about Owen Crisafulli
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