Bucs fans are well aware that head coach Todd Bowles should firmly be on the hot seat heading into the 2026 season, following an 8-9 season and missing the postseason. Bowles’ 35-33 record in Tampa Bay, sandwiched by two losing seasons, comes with the disguise of three division titles benefited by playing in the lowly NFC South.

The way that Tampa Bay played following a 6-2 start made it even worse. The Bucs were abysmal, losing seven of nine games down the stretch and putting themselves in a situation where they didn’t control their own destiny anymore despite a win in the season finale.

Add in the fact that former offensive coordinator Liam Coen won 13 games becoming the head coach of the Jaguars while winning the AFC South title, plus Dave Canales, another former Bucs offensive play-caller, got his first NFC South division championship with the Panthers, and it leaves a Bucs fan base rabid over what happened with their own team.

Todd Bowles Hot Seat Ranking To Be Expected

But looking around the rest of the league, is Todd Bowles the number one coach on the hot seat in all of the NFL? He certainly has a case for it. In an article authored by Ralph Vacchiano of Fox Sports, he put together a top 10 rankings of coaches on the hot seat going into this season. Bowles was listed third with Jets coach Aaron Glenn taking the top spot and Eagles coach Nick Sirianni second. Here is what Vacchiano said about Bowles.

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

“The fact that a team loaded with talent couldn’t emerge from the worst division in football doesn’t speak well of Bowles’ ability as a head coach. Neither does his 35-33 record in four years in Tampa despite three playoff berths. Yes, injuries hurt the Bucs last season, but that’s not the only reason they lost seven of their last nine games. Even when they were relatively healthy, Bowles couldn’t shake them out of their funk. 

“If history holds, he’ll coach well enough that the Bucs will be mediocre again, but he’s got the quarterback and enough players to do better than that. It’s hard to imagine the Glazer family will be OK if the Bucs don’t break out of the pack in their awful division again.”

That analysis is spot on about Bowles. The Bucs have mostly toiled in mediocrity in his time as head coach in Tampa Bay. While incrementally they had improved from 8-9, to 9-8 and then 10-7, falling back to 8-9 in 2025 showed that is was one step forward followed by two steps back.

When it comes to the rankings overall, understandably its not an easy list to come up with, especially when there’s a ton of new coach hirings this offseason. I’d bump up Bowles to second ahead of Sirianni due to Sirianni’s success with the Eagles winning a Super Bowl two seasons ago, although I understand that reason why he’s at risk is more because of high demands from ownership rather than his accomplishments.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

It’s also curious that coaches such as Carolina’s Dave Canales and Indianapolis’ Shane Steichen are within the top 6 rather than Brian Schottenheimer, who struggled with the Cowboys and has an owner in Jerry Jones that is known to make rash decisions and pull the plug even when it may not be warranted.

Regardless, Bowles must figure out how to get the best out of his defense this season – and quickly. It’s going on two years in a row where Tampa Bay’s defensive side of the ball – the one that Bowles is responsible for – has had constant miscommunications, a lack of a consistent pass rush, and allowed too many points.

Even if Tampa Bay’s offense gets back on track with Zac Robinson at offensive coordinator, the Bucs may elect to make him their next head coach to avoid another Canales or Liam Coen situation where the team let a talented offensive coordinator leave to take a head coaching job elsewhere. It’ll likely take a minimum of 10 wins and at least one playoff victory for Bowles to secure another season.

Check out the entire coach power rankings by Vacchiano by clicking this link.