To the surprise and dismay of some Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans, the club retained head coach Todd Bowles. The Bucs went from 6-2 to 8-9 en route to missing the playoffs this past season. 

According to the JoeBucsFan website, Buccaneers co-owner Joel Glazer was asked while speaking with reporters on Tuesday about some supporters wanting “to see a change” after Tampa Bay endured a brutal collapse under Bowles’ watch. 

Buccaneers didn’t want to “throw a dart” after disappointing end to 2025 season

“Last season started out great,” Glazer said. “Didn’t end so well. Obviously, we were disappointed. Obviously, our fans are disappointed. But there’s always a little more to it, you know. Every team has injuries, but there were significant injuries last year at significant positions. And, a lot of close games down the stretch didn’t go our way. But we’re trying to build a championship team, and you can try and throw a dart every year, or you can try to build a Super Bowl-winning team.” 

Previous reports indicated that Buccaneers ownership at least considered throwing a figurative dart as it pertained to allegedly reaching out to John Harbaugh after he was fired by the Baltimore Ravens this past January. Harbaugh eventually signed with the New York Giants to become their next head coach. 

As for Bowles, he and general manager Jason Licht inked multiyear contract extensions last offseason. It’s unclear if the buyout attached to Bowles’ deal is one reason he is still employed by the club, but it is worth noting that Bowles made numerous noteworthy changes to his coaching staff during the offseason. 

Todd Bowles is still “respected” among Buccaneers players

“We feel like we have a great team and we’re constantly building, building, building — adding to the foundations of what we have,” Glazer continued. “And if you look at our roster, look at our team, we think we’re great in a lot of spots, but like a lot of teams, you have to add. Obviously, ultimately the head coach is the one who has [the won-loss record] fall at his feet, but I know Todd is very respected in the locker room, and nobody wants to win more than Todd.”

That’s all well and good, but one wonders if Bowles will need to notch a playoff victory in January 2027 to be in his current job at this time next year.