INTRO: The Bucs’ 2025 season is over and we’re officially into the 2026 offseason. So let’s kick off the offseason with a new SR’s FAB 5 full of some insight and some inside scoop on your favorite team.

FAB 1. What’s Next For Todd Bowles And The Bucs?

Let’s get a couple of things straight.

Todd Bowles remains the head coach of the Buccaneers. Whether you – or I – like it or not.

This was the Glazers’ call to keep Bowles in charge, and it’s their team. They have the right to make that decision.

I didn’t necessarily think Bowles deserved to return for the 2026 season after the team woefully underachieved after a 6-2 start with a disastrous 2-7 finish that included not just a three-game losing streak to good teams, but also a four-game losing streak against teams with losing records – three of which had backup quarterbacks – at the end of the year.

The Bucs have now had four-game losing streaks in each of the last three seasons after hot starts. That’s a very disturbing pattern.

Bowles didn’t have any answers or solutions to truly stop the post-bye week skid outside of a 16-14, rain-soaked win against Carolina in the season finale. I’m not confident that he will find those answers for the 2026 season.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles – Photo by: USA Today

Tampa Bay’s defense, of which he’s in charge, has been sub-par the last two seasons. And it’s been the offense that has been the strength of this team – more so in 2024 when the Bucs endured less injuries on that side of the ball.

Bowles had won three straight division titles in the worst division in football. In any other NFL division, the Bucs don’t win a single division title in 2022 or 2023 with the team’s 8-9 and 9-8 records.

In hindsight, I think it’s impossible to dispute that letting offensive coordinator Liam Coen go to Jacksonville to become the head coach there instead of replacing Bowles in Tampa Bay was a mistake. The Bucs won 10 games largely because of Coen’s offense, which averaged just under 30 points per game, and his play-calling prowess.

Without the benefit of taking any coaches with him, Coen went 13-4 in his first season as a head coach and won the AFC South with a team that went 4-13 the previous year. The Bucs have had exactly one 13-win season in their 50-season history, which was in 2021.

Having said all this, Bowles will get the chance to rectify the situation and make amends for the team’s 8-9 record in the upcoming 2026 season. He likely had to fire several coaches in order to keep his job. The firings on the defensive side of the ball and special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey needed to happen for sure.

Whether he likes it or not, and whether the Glazers like it or not, Bowles will start the 2026 season on the hot seat. And it won’t just be Pewter Report placing him there. The national media will undoubtedly have Bowles on the hot seat, too.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

That’s what happens when you lose the division to an 8-9 Panthers team and are essentially forced to part ways with six coaches, including safeties coach Nick Rapone, who would have been fired if he had not elected to retire.

The expectation should be for Bowles and the Bucs to get back to at least 10 wins and win the division.

Anything short of that for a coach with a 35-33 record, including two losing 8-9 seasons out of four in Tampa Bay along with a 1-3 postseason record, would be a clear indication of mediocrity and should not be tolerated.

If the Glazers haven’t explicitly told Bowles that he needs to get back to at least 10 wins and winning the worst division in football, and outlined that expectation, then they are admitting that they would accept mediocrity and are simply afraid to make what would be a necessary change in 2027.

Having said all that, I’m rooting for Bowles in 2026. I would love to see him turn this around and shut up the doubters like me.

Bowles is a very good man, and I have a lot of respect for him. I’ve gone on record saying that I want to see him win and succeed. I genuinely like Coach Bowles and would love nothing more to see him prove me and his detractors wrong in the upcoming season.

In my 30 years of covering the Buccaneers, I grew up loving the defensive side of football. I walked in the door in 1995 not only with the Glazers, but also with Hall of Famers Warren Sapp and Derrick Brooks, who were rookies that year. Middle linebacker Hardy Nickerson, one of most badass players I’ve ever covered, was Tampa Bay’s star player at the time.

I marveled at the Bucs defense picking off Raiders quarterback Rich Gannon five times and returning three of those picks for touchdowns in Super Bowl XXXVII, in addition to sacking him five times. I was more thrilled to see Bowles’ defense harass and torment Patrick Mahomes and keep the Chiefs’ high-powered offense out of the end zone in Super Bowl LV than I was to see Tom Brady throw three touchdown passes.

Former Bucs OLBs Shaquil Barrett andJason Pierre-Paul and DT Ndamukong Suh – Photo by: USA Today

I love defense, and want Bowles and Jason Licht to draft better defensive players than Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Logan Hall and Chris Braswell with premium picks, and sign better free agent defenders than Haason Reddick.

Even though Licht is the G.M. and ultimately makes these roster additions, I’m including Bowles in this statement because those busts and underwhelming players have his fingerprints on them, too. Licht isn’t going to draft defensive players and force them on Bowles without his approval. After all, he has to coach them.

You, as Bucs fans, have the right to decide whether or not you want to support Bowles and his team in 2026, or root for his failure and a new head coach in 2027. You can decide whether you want to continue to go to Bucs games or if you don’t want to renew your season tickets in protest.

I hear you.

And I also hear the Tampa Bay fans who will always support the team no matter who the head coach is, no matter who the quarterback is, and no matter what last year’s record was.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Regardless of which side of the fence you’re on this year, Pewter Report is here for you. We invite you to read our coverage on PewterReport.com as we chronicle who gets interviewed and ultimately which new coaches get hired. We also welcome you to watch and participate in our Pewter Report Podcasts, which are on our PewterReportTV YouTube channel Monday – Thursday at 4:00 p.m. ET during the offseason.

Our first Pewter Report Bucs Mock Draft will be published on Sunday, January 25, then it’s off to the Senior Bowl to scout some of this year’s top draft prospects.

So let’s see what this 2026 Bucs team has in store for us, Bucs fans, but first, let’s see how the coaching staff comes together and how the roster improves during the offseason.

FAB 2. Fixing The Bucs Defense With Some Familiar Faces

I’ve seen some suggest that Todd Bowles hire former Bucs and Falcons head coach Raheem Morris to be the team’s defensive coordinator in 2026. But I’m not so sure Bowles is ready to give up play-calling duties on defense just yet.

Fox Sports’ Greg Auman reported on X that Bowles will have the option of calling plays or not in 2026. Given how much Bowles loves calling the defense, I can’t see him giving that up – especially with a make-or-break season on deck. If Bowles is going out, it’s going to be on his terms with him presiding over the defense.

So that likely eliminates Morris if my theory is correct. He’ll have the opportunity to land somewhere as a defensive coordinator in this coach hiring cycle.

But there are a few familiar faces who are available who could greatly help Bowles and the defense turn things around in 2026.

Chiefs DL coach Joe Cullen – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Orlando Ramirez

The first is Chiefs defensive line coach Joe Cullen, who had that title in Tampa Bay from 2014-15 on Lovie Smith’s staff. Cullen would have to be named as the Bucs defensive coordinator for him to leave Kansas City, as he’s still under contract. But Cullen could be coordinator in name only and let Bowles still call plays in theory.

Cullen had one year’s worth of play-calling experience as a defensive coordinator in Jacksonville on Urban Meyer’s staff in 2021, but that season didn’t end well.

Yet where Cullen is at his best is as a defensive line coach. A Rod Marinelli disciple, Cullen helped former Bucs Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy have two of his best seasons with 8.5 sacks in both 2014 and 2015. Jacquies Smith posted career highs in sacks with 6.5 and seven in those two seasons as well.

After being fired along with Smith’s staff after the 2015 season, Cullen landed in Baltimore, where he coached the defensive line from 2016-20. After his one-year stint with the Jaguars, Cullen wound up in Kansas City, where he coached the defensive line since 2022, helping the Chiefs win two Super Bowls in 2022 and 2023.

Former Ravens DL coach Joe Cullen – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Timmy Gilligan

From 2022-25 with Cullen on the staff, the Chiefs rank first in scoring defense (19.4 points per game), second in total defense (310 yards per game), fourth in rushing defense (107 yards per game) and fifth in sacks (186). More importantly, the 58-year old Cullen brings a ton of energy with his coaching style. Part technician and part wild man, Cullen has a coaching intensity few have in the trenches.

Tampa Bay only recorded 37 sacks last year, which was down from 44 the previous year. Outside linebacker Yaya Diaby led the team with seven sacks, followed by defensive tackle Vita Vea, who had 4.5 sacks. Cullen could bring out the best in Tampa Bay’s defensive front, whether it’s stopping the run or rushing the passer.

Former Bucs defensive backs coach Jimmy Lake is another position coach I would consider hiring. Lake, a Raheem Morris disciple, has tried his hand at being a head coach at the University of Washington and a defensive coordinator in the NFL for one year in Atlanta in 2024. He was fired from both posts.

But when it comes to coaching defensive backs, that’s Lake’s lane. He’s currently serving as a senior defensive assistant with the Rams and was Sean McVay’s assistant head coach in 2023 prior to him joining Morris in Atlanta as the defensive play-caller.

Former Washington HC/DC/DBs coach Jimmy Lake – Photo courtesy of Univ. of Washington

Lake had two stints in Tampa Bay – first from 2006-07 as Jon Gruden’s assistant DBs coach under Morris, and then again as the defensive backs coach from 2010-11 under Morris when he was the Bucs head coach. Lake then had a successful run as the defensive backs coach (2014-17) and defensive coordinator (2018-19) at the University of Washington, where he recruited and developed a ton of NFL talent. Lake is super knowledgeable about secondary play and coaches with a lot of energy and enthusiasm.

I don’t know who Bowles has in mind to coach the defensive front and the cornerbacks, but I haven’t been too fond of some of his recent hires – namely George Edwards and Charlie Strong. But I think Cullen and Lake are at least worth interviewing in Tampa Bay as they’ve proven their worth here before.

FAB 3. Josh Grizzard Was The Fall Guy In Tampa Bay

Someone had to take the fall for the team’s 8-9 record, especially its 2-7 stretch to end the season. The first coach Todd Bowles fired was first-year offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard, who was promoted from pass game coordinator to replace Liam Coen last offseason.

If Bowles were going to remain Tampa Bay’s head coach, someone had to be the fall guy. Out of self-preservation, Bowles chose Grizzard along with special teams coach Thomas McGaughey, new defensive line coach Charlie Strong, longtime cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross, and longtime safeties coach Nick Rapone, who opted to retire instead.

Former Bucs ST coordinator Thomas McGaughey, former OC Josh Grizzard and Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis, who was the lone holdover on offense from the Bruce Arians regime, was also fired. Tampa Bay’s new offensive coordinator, whoever that will be, will likely be given some say in whether the rest of the offensive coaches stay or go.

Letting go of those defensive coaches certainly make sense. Tampa Bay’s pass rush fell off this year, and there was constant busts in coverage seemingly all season in the secondary. It seems as if inside linebackers coach Mike Caldwell and outside linebackers coach Larry Foote will be retained, and somehow defensive pass game coordinator George Edwards escaped the purge. I’m not sure what value Edwards brings to the defense.

But back to Grizzard. It’s curious that he was the scapegoat after Tampa Bay’s 8-9 season. I had accurately forecasted that Grizzard, a first-time play-caller like Dave Canales was in 2023, would be better than Canales, but that he would have a hard time matching Coen’s success from a year ago.

That’s exactly what happened.

Under Canales in 2023, the Bucs averaged 20.5 points per game, which ranked 20th in the league. Under Grizzard, Tampa Bay averaged 22.4 points per game, which ranked 18th. In 2023, the team ranked 23rd in total yards per game, averaging 313 yards per game. Last season the Bucs ranked 21st, averaging 320.4 yards per game.

Passing yardage declined under Grizzard from 2023 when the Bucs averaged 224.2 yards per game, which ranked 17th. Partly due to Baker Mayfield’s multitude of injuries, Tampa Bay’s passing game ranked 20th last year with a 205.9-yard average.

Yet the Bucs’ ground game was far better under Grizzard, averaging 114.5 yards per game, which ranked 21st despite having Bucky Irving for only half the season, and the team starting practice squad guards Mike Jordan and Dan Feeney for much of the year and being without left tackle Tristan Wirfs for five games and right tackle Luke Goedeke for six.

In fact, the 2023 Bucs had one of the healthiest seasons in franchise history, while the offense was ravaged in Grizzard’s lone season as a play-caller.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield, former OC Josh Grizzard and HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Despite Bowles’ defense failing to hold on to a 14-point lead against Atlanta with 10 minutes left and surrendering two completions on third-and-28 and fourth-and-14 on the Falcons’ game-winning drive, Grizzard got the axe because his offense underwhelmed down the stretch. Pewter Report has learned that Bowles was behind the team’s offensive game plan to run the ball 30 times in Tampa Bay’s 23-20 loss at Carolina despite the return of wide receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan to the lineup.

I was told that Grizzard had wanted to feature the receivers against Carolina like the Bucs did when Tampa Bay put up 28 points against Atlanta on Thursday Night Football. But instead, he was directed to run the ball more and control the time of possession, presumably to protect Bowles’ leaky defense from a lot of exposure.

Tampa Bay went back to throwing the ball more against Miami, with Mayfield passing for 327 yards. But two interceptions hurt the offense, as it scored just 10 points before a last-minute touchdown to come close in a 20-17 loss to the Dolphins. The Bucs did win the time of possession battle against the Dolphins, and then again by nearly 15 minutes in a 16-14 victory over the Panthers in a constant downpour.

With worse numbers, Canales landed a head coaching job in Carolina after nine wins. With better numbers than Canales, Grizzard got fired after eight wins. The NFL can be a crazy business.

FAB 4. Plenty Of Edge Rushers In This Year’s Senior Bowl

We’ll see who ends up practicing and possibly playing in this year’s Senior Bowl, and which players opt out, but there are some really good edge rushers who have accepted their invites – for now.

Here are the expected headliners at the edge rusher (DE/OLB) position:

Texas Tech Edge David Bailey
Texas Tech Edge Romello Height
Texas A&M Edge Cashius Howell
Clemon Edge T.J. Parker
Oklahoma Edge R Mason Thomas
Illinois Edge Gabe Jacas
Missouri Edge Zion Young
Michigan Edge Derrick Moore
Penn State Edge Dani Dennis-Sutton

According to Pro Football Focus’ early draft grades, Bailey, Height, Howell and Parker carry first-round grades. Thomas is currently the No. 33 overall prospect at the start of the second round, and Jacas, Young and Moore also carry second-round grades, while Dennis-Sutton is currently regarded as a third-round prospect per PFF.

Texas Tech edge rushers David Bailey and Romello Height – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Nathan Giese

Bailey, who finished his career at Texas Tech after starting it at Stanford, has 29 career sacks, including 14.5 last year. He’s regarded as a potential Top 10 pick. Howell had 27 sacks between three years at Bowling Green and his final two seasons at Texas A&M where he notched 11.5 sacks in 2024.

Height had two years at Auburn, two years at USC, and a year at Georgia Tech before finishing up at Texas Tech where he recorded 10 of his 16.5 sacks this season opposite Bailey. Parker had 11 sacks and six forced fumbles in 2024, but regressed a bit with just five sacks in 2025 at Clemson.

Thomas had nine sacks in 2024 at Oklahoma and 6.5 this past season. Jacas, who is one of my favorite edge rushers in this class, had eight sacks in 2024 then 11 during his final season, finishing as Illinois’ second-leading sacker all-time behind Simeon Rice.

Illinois edge rusher Gabe Jacas – Photo by: IMAGN Images – Zachary Taft

Young had a career-high 6.5 sacks last year at Missouri, while Moore improved from four sacks in 2024 to 10 last year at Michigan.

Dennis-Sutton had 23.5 sacks career sacks, including back-to-back seasons with 8.5 sacks. He also forced seven fumbles, including three last year, in addition to two fumble recoveries. Dennis-Sutton also had two interceptions and eight passes defensed for the Nittany Lions, and is also one of my favorite edge rushers in this class.

Pewter Report will be keeping a close eye on these edge rushers and other top draft prospects in Mobile, Ala. as our Senior Bowl coverage begins on Monday, January 26. We’ll also have live podcasts on location that week, so make sure you have subscribed to our PewterReportTV YouTube channel and hit the notifications bell icon that will let you know when he we go live with a podcast or we post a new Bucs video.

FAB 5. Support Us By Becoming A PewterReportTV YouTube Channel Member

Not only have we seen a surge in subscriptions to our PewterReportTV YouTube channel, which is now over 22,300 subscribers, but we’ll have seen a big increase in our PewterReportTV channel memberships.

Subscribing to PewterReportTV is free to do – just hit the subscribe button. But if you want to take your support for Pewter Report to a new level, please consider becoming a PewterReportTV channel member. You can do that by hitting the Join button on PewterReportTV.

We have four membership levels: Pewter People ($3.99 per month), Pewter Pro ($6.99 per month), Pewter Premier ($9.99 per month) and Pewter Platinum ($24.99 per month). Every membership level gets loyalty badges and custom emojis. But our Pewter Premier and Pewter Platinum members get special access to our bonus Pewter Insider podcast that Matt Matera and I do on Fridays at 1:30 p.m. ET.

Pewter Platinum members also get some free PR merch after several months as a member, as well as an invitation to a special Pewter Platinum meet-up with the PR staff and some Buccaneers. Last year, cornerback Zyon McCollum and assistant G.M. Mike Greenberg joined us at Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux where they met our Platinum members, took pics and signed autographs.

Our Pewter Report travel budget comes out of our YouTube channel revenue, so your membership allows us to go on location to the Senior Bowl, the NFL Scouting Combine and the NFL Annual Meeting, in addition to joint training camp practices and games during the season.

Think of your membership as an investment in your own Bucs fandom. We go on location for you and bring you the best Bucs analysis, news and inside scoop in the form of our podcasts and videos on PewterReportTV and stories and columns on PewterReport.com.

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