It took longer than some may have wanted, but it feels like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have reached the end of the Todd Bowles era.
Rather than a triumphant conclusion, it appears things have ended with a frustrated whimper.
Some fans have been calling for his head almost as far back as when he was announced as Bruce Arians’ successor, but even the most steadfast supporters of Bowles can’t deny the facts. Despite being able to dig out of midseason slumps in back-to-back seasons, the Bucs look destined to either plateau or take a step back.
That’s not the type of success the Glazers look for, and while the turnarounds in years past have proven Bowles is the man for the job, that credit has run out. After three straight divisional losses, the most recent of which sunk the Bucs into second place and out of the playoff picture, it’s pretty clear what needs to happen next.
The Buccaneers have no choice but to move on from Todd Bowles
At this point it’s really not a matter of if the Bucs move on from Bowles, but how they do it.
Fans will want bloodshed, but that’s unlikely to happen. Bowles has caused endless amounts of external frustration but he’s still well-liked and highly respected within the building, so anyone hoping to see him fired might be disapointed.
The likliest outcome is that Bowles goes a similar route to what Bruce Arians did and retires or transitions into an advisory role within the organization. Setting aside any animosity that has built over the last few seasons, that feels like the right move.
Bowles is one of the most successful coaches in Buccaneers franchise history, which isn’t a high bar but still carries weight. So does his masterclass in Super Bowl LV, where he was the architect of one of the most menacing defensive performances we’ve ever seen and was a reason the Bucs brought a Lombardi Trophy back to Tampa.
That was five years ago, though, and even the staunchest Bowles defenders have to admit that something needs to change.
The locker room might not be crumbling, but something isn’t getting through. Bowles went on an uncharacteristically vulgar postgame rant after a blown 14-point lead to the Falcons in Week 15, but the response was a three-point loss to the Panthers.
That’s not going to win Bowles any favors, and it seems to confirm that things have run their course. Bowles might still stick around the Bucs, especially since he and Licht have developed a bond over the years and it’s not in the team’s nature to cut ties with high character people, but his place should no longer be on the sideline.