The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have spent the better part of the last decade attempting to separate themselves from the gravitational pull of the NFC South’s mediocrity. They won a Super Bowl, made the playoffs in five consecutive seasons, and rode the re-ascension of quarterback Baker Mayfield to usher in an era of post-Tom Brady football.
In 2025, they were victims of the division’s incompetence. When the New Orleans Saints fell in Week 18, so did Tampa’s tiebreaker. At 8-9, the Buccaneers fell short of a home playoff game, prompting discussions about what needs to change.
Todd Bowles Defends Heavy Staff Turnover
In the opening days of the offseason, Tampa decided that head coach Todd Bowles is safe. Having won the division in each of his first three seasons as head coach, the team determined it wasn’t quite time to pull the plug.
Many of his assistants, however, would shoulder the blame for a lost season.
According to Rick Stroud, the team dismissed several coaches, a referendum on Tampa’s preseason expectations, and an indictment of the entire operation.
“Quite a staff purge by the Bucs and HC Todd Bowles,” Stroud reported. “Fired: Offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard, QBs coach Thad Lewis, special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, defensive line coach Charlie Strong, defensive backs coach Kevin Ross. Safeties coach Nick Rapone, 69, and senior offensive consultant Tom Moore, 87, plan to retire.”
The Buccaneers started the season 5-1, riding an unsustainable Baker Mayfield hot streak to the top of the NFC playoff picture. Eventually, adversity hit, including a wave of injuries.
Staring down the barrel of a first-place schedule, Tampa stumbled down the stretch, winning two of its final nine games. That downturn included a loss to each division opponent, none of whom finished over .500. Winning any of those games would have flipped the team’s fortunes and secured a playoff berth.
Instead, the Buccaneers will lick their wounds and be active players on the assistant coaching market. While Bowles remains in charge, finding Mayfield’s next play-caller headlines a host of positions to fill.
“These decisions are always difficult, but the disappointing end to the season required some changes to our coaching staff in order to ensure we live up to the high standards we have set here,” Bowles said, via Stroud. “These coaches have all put in a tremendous amount of work and effort, but unfortunately, the results were not there this past season.”
“Our goal is to compete for championships every year, and it is my responsibility to make these tough decisions in order to reach those expectations. [I] want to thank these coaches for all that they have contributed to our success over the years, and I wish them well.”
Bowles had found success on the offensive coordinator circuit before 2025. Both Dave Canales and Liam Coen helped save Mayfield’s career before finding head coaching jobs elsewhere (and making the playoffs this season).
The Grizzard hire was less effective, failing to find the same consistency Mayfield showcased in prior seasons. Under Canales and Coen, Mayfield finished 12th and seventh in PFSN’s NFL QB Impact Metric, respectively. This year, he ranked 24th.
It’s worth noting that Tampa regressed on both sides of the ball. Bowles’ aggressive defense was once a calling card, but it allowed the most points of his head-coaching tenure in 2025. By DVOA, only five teams lagged behind the Buccaneers.
These wide-ranging changes are justified and likely necessary after the Buccaneers’ struggles. Still, with so many moving parts this offseason, it remains fair to question whether Bowles should be the one making these calls.
