The pressure is mounting on Todd Bowles. One Pro Football Focus analyst has placed the Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach on the hot seat entering the 2026 season, following the team's failure to reach the playoffs in 2025.
Missed opportunities defined Tampa Bay's campaign. The Bucs struggled to find consistency, a sharp contrast to their recent Super Bowl-winning pedigree. Missing the postseason marked a significant step back for a franchise accustomed to competing for titles in the post-Tom Brady era.
For Bowles, the stakes are now high. A coach who once guided the defense to a championship, he now faces questions about the team's direction. The NFC South remains winnable, but the margin for error has shrunk.
The upcoming season will test Bowles' ability to regroup. Strengthening the roster through the draft and free agency will be critical, as will developing young talent. A strong start to 2026 could quiet the noise, but another disappointing finish might spell the end of his tenure.
"I don't think this is a given that he's gone," the analyst noted, acknowledging that Bowles could still turn things around. However, the sentiment underscores a growing impatience that often accompanies a playoff-less year in Tampa.