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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers trended downward despite beating the Carolina Panthers Saturday. They have to watch the team they beat represent the NFC South in the NFL Playoffs this weekend. Todd Bowles will be back for 2026 — but cleaning house is imminent.
Bowles assured his return with the Tampa Bay Times after speaking with the Glazer family. But Bucs insider Rick Stroud dropped this nugget.
“Bowles also confirmed there will be some changes to his coaching staff,” Stroud wrote.
Bowles pleaded his case to stay on board Tuesday. Sweeping changes could involve new coordinators or position coaches coming on board. Especially after T.B. goes from a 6-2 start to still missing the postseason.
The Atlanta Falcons’ Week 18 victory over the New Orleans Saints handed Carolina the division — by virtue of tiebreaker rules.
The Super Bowl winner hasn’t identified who will stick with him or who’s leaving.
Defense rises as an area to address, though.
The Bucs sagged to 20th in scoring defense this past season — surrendering 24.2 points per game. This means co-coordinators Larry Foote (run defense) and George Edwards (pass defense) could be axed. Bowles’ area of expertise is defense, which became a weakness in the end.
The biggest blemish arrived against Atlanta on Dec. 11 — with the Bucs allowing first downs on third-and-28 then on fourth-and-14. Bowles vented by dropping multiple F-bombs after the loss.
The Bucs offense wasn’t consistently stellar either; falling to 21st in total yards and 18th in scoring. Quarterback Baker Mayfield delivered 3,693 yards, but his passing touchdowns dipped to 26 after throwing 41 the previous season. His completion percentage (63.2%) also dropped compared to the 71.4% he hit in ’24.
That drop off could mean Josh Grizzard is on his way out as offensive coordinator. Grizzard took over after Liam Coen accepted the Jacksonville Jaguars head coaching job (who now has the Jags in the postseason).
Coordinators surface as the first area of observation for coaches planning to make changes. The aforementioned assistants stand on turbulent ground this week per Bowles’ decision to clean house.
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