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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a lot on the line in Week 18. Tampa Bay needs to beat Carolina this weekend for a chance to make the playoffs. But if the Buccaneers cannot win the game, plenty of changes could come during the offseason. That includes the head coaching position.
ESPN’s Dan Graziano and Jeremy Fowler speculated about Bowles’ job security before Week 18. They believe he could be in danger of being fired if the Buccaneers lose to the Panthers this weekend.
“And some are wondering what Tampa Bay might do if the Bucs don’t win Sunday to salvage their season,” Graziano wrote on Wednesday.
The Buccaneers are 7-9 headed into Week 18 and appear vulnerable for the first time in several years. They have collapsed during the back half of the regular season, losing all but one game following their Week 9 bye.
Change could make sense for Tampa this offseason. Veteran Mike Evans may finally retire, and the offense could use a new identity after losing OC Liam Coen to the Jaguars.
However, Fowler noted that Bowles’ contract extension from earlier this year could make moving on from him quite expensive.
“On the Bucs, Todd Bowles’ buyout would be hefty after the team extended his contract through 2028, and the team doesn’t seem overly eager to pay that. Bailing on Bowles would be the Bucs’ way of embracing a rebuild. But someone will have to pay if they lose to Carolina. Staff changes are not off the table either way.”
Coaching contracts are fully guaranteed in the NFL, so the Buccaneers would have to pay Bowles through 2028 if they fired him. They would also need to hire a new head coach and pay him too.
Of course, getting a win against the Panthers could go a long way towards securing Bowles’ future in Tampa Bay.
Buccaneers vs. Panthers kicks off at 4:30PM ET on Saturday.
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