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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won’t be joining the John Harbaugh sweepstakes or any head coaching search, for that matter, heading into 2026.
Todd Bowles will remain in place as the Bucs’ head coach in 2026 after meeting with the team’s owners, the Glazer family, Tuesday, according to the Tampa Bay Times,
Bowles did tell the outlet, though, there will be changes to his coaching staff for next season. He didn’t say what those changes would be. But it will be a different look in Tampa Bay after a disastrous second half that resulted in the team missing the playoffs.
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The Bucs were 6-2 to start the season, and many believed they would win their fourth straight NFC South title. However, the Carolina Panthers won that title despite losing to the Bucs in Week 18 due to NFL tiebreaker rules.
The Atlanta Falcons’ upset over the Los Angeles Rams in Week 17 changed everything.
PANTHERS MAKE PLAYOFFS AFTER FALCONS WIN OVER SAINTS; BUCCANEERS ELIMINATED
There was some chatter regarding Bowles’ job security if the Bucs didn’t make the playoffs. However, the Glazer family and the rest of the front office are giving Bowles a chance to redeem himself and the team, at least for one more season.
Tampa Bay won only two of their last nine games after going 6-2, and they finished 8-9 on the year — the same record as the Panthers and Falcons.
Through Bowles’ four seasons leading the Bucs, the team is just 35-33 despite their divisional success. They haven’t made it past the divisional round in those seasons, and Bowles’ best record was 10-7 in 2024.
However, not everything with the Bucs falls on Bowles’ shoulders, even if he is their head coach. Injuries played a big role in the team’s demise, especially on the offensive line. There were also long-term injuries for wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, while running back Bucky Irving, who stole the show in his rookie campaign in 2024, was also sidelined for multiple games.
The Bucs hope that switching up the coaching staff, adding more reinforcements through free agency and most importantly, keeping the main leader in place, could bode well for 2026.
Given how the division finished, the NFC South is wide open heading into 2026, though it appears the Panthers, Falcons and Saints are starting to catch up in terms of competitiveness.
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