Within a few hours following the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 23-20 home loss to the San Francisco 49ers in Week 10, the trending topics bar on X began to populate with “Fire Bowles” — one click away from a blistering volley of posts suggesting third-year head coach Todd Bowles find employment elsewhere.
That’s to be expected at this point. The Buccaneers dropped to 4-6 after their fourth consecutive loss and second consecutive loss on the final play of the game.
That the Buccaneers are losing with one of the NFL’s worst defensive units falls directly on Bowles’ shoulders — the team doesn’t have a defensive coordinator because that’s also his job. San Francisco quarterback Brock Purdy was the latest to take advantage, shredding Tampa Bay with 25-of-36 passing for 353 yards, 2 touchdowns and no interceptions.
“We have to finish ballgames,” Bowles told The Associated Press following the loss to the 49ers. “There’s nothing wrong with how hard we’re playing and how tough we’re playing, but we have to finish games. … We’re making too many mistakes at the end.”
That’s why The Glazer Family should make a bold move and cut bait with Bowles after the season, eat the remaining 2 years left on the 5-year contract he signed before the 2022 season and make the bold move to hire the greatest coach in NFL history — former New England Patriots head coach and 6-time Super Bowl champion Bill Belichick.
Making the Case for Belichick in Tampa Bay
If you’re even on the outer rim of the NFL rumors solar system, you know Belichick will almost certainly be a head coach somewhere in 2025 after he was relieved of his duties in New England after 24 seasons and following a 4-13 record in 2023.
The two places Belichick’s name seems to pop up the most are with the Jacksonville Jaguars and Dallas Cowboys — 2 teams who very much still have head coaches running their teams with Doug Pedersen and Mike McCarthy.
Almost sight unseen as to what scheme he would run or what players he would bring in, it’s a given that the Buccaneers’ defense would be better under Belichick. He also might be able to spin hay into gold through free agency with approximately $28.4 million in cap space in 2025 — money likely spent mostly on a wide receiver — and make an even bigger move with $106.5 million in cap space in 2026, according to Over the Cap.
If Belichick has the choice, it would seem like he’d be just as inclined to consider a proven franchise like the Buccaneers as much as he would whatever is going on with the Jaguars and the unencumbered drama that comes with the Cowboys.
How Bowles Might Still Save His Job in Tampa Bay
Even though Bowles dropped to 21-23 as Bucs’ head coach with the loss to the 49ers, there’s still probably a clear path to keeping his job — just make the playoffs.
The Buccaneers still have a good shot at doing just that. The Buccaneers’ final 7 games feature 6 games against with teams against losing records and a Who’s Who of the NFL’s worst teams, including 2 games against the Carolina Panthers.
