The Bucs reached a pivotal fork in the road this offseason — change head coaches or double down on Todd Bowles.

They doubled down.

That decision will shape the franchise’s trajectory in 2026 and beyond, but for now, Bowles has the backing of both the Glazers and general manager Jason Licht. Licht’s comments about Bowles at the NFL Annual Meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, were quite telling about the trust they have in one another heading into the upcoming season.

Jason Licht: “It Is Not Always On The Head Coach”

Todd Bowles joined the Bucs under Bruce Arians back in 2019 as a defensive coordinator and then took the head coaching reins in 2022 after Arians stepped down from the post. It was a unique circumstance that gave him another opportunity, although it has not always been the smoothest trajectory. A 35-33 regular season record and 1-3 playoff record points to the level of stagnation the team has had.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: USA Today

It was no surprise after an 8-9 season that many presumed Bowles’ time in Tampa Bay would be over and the team would go in a different direction, but Jason Licht pushed back at the notion that all the blame should squarely be on the head coach.

“I would say that we all need to make some improvements,” Licht said. “None of us is happy about the way the season ended, and it’s not always on the head coach. It’s on all of us. We had a lot of factors that went into it. I’ve been on record saying — we’re not going to hide behind injuries, but he had some injuries, we had some unfortunate things that happened that caused us to lose some of those games, but you can’t put them all on the head coach.

“I think Todd has done a really good job in a lot of areas that we feel like he’s the right man to steady the ship. I’m confident in some of the things that we’re looking at and improvements we’re trying to make. We’re excited about this season.”

While some might debate the true decision and say Licht had keeping Bowles around, there is no denying the rapport the two have built over the years. No matter the success or shortcomings, they have remained on the same page when it comes to expectations and what must be done. It is rare to find that level of trust in a league where general managers often throw the head coach under the bus to save face.

Bucs GM Jason Licht & HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

That has never been the case during Licht’s time running the front office, but at the same time, continued losing is not something that will be tolerated. As Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds pointed out during Monday’s action-packed Pewter Report Podcast, the Glazers have never kept a head coach with consecutive losing seasons.

Whether it was Greg Schiano, Lovie Smith, or Dirk Koetter, each was shown the door when losing became commonplace.

Some might think that outcome is inevitable based on a 6-2 start followed up by a 2-7 finish to the 2025 season.

Many factors contributed to the drastic fall-off. Whether it was late-game execution, defensive breakdowns, or injuries, there were plenty of culprits behind the collapse, creating just as many reasons for skepticism entering 2026.

Rather than sulk in what was a disappointing end, Licht has reason to hope in a new beginning. Through many of his comments on Monday, he reasoned that the team’s issues are fixable based on the players they went out and acquired, not including other players who will enter the ranks in less than a month. The belief is that this is a foundation that can still be built on and does not require a tear down.

“We were a very good team… we were 5-1, 6-2, whatever way you want to look at it,” Licht added. “[We] made some additions this year, got the draft coming up. We got a lot of avenues to make some improvements and got a lot of other things we can do to help this team propel it to become better than we were last year. Internally, we’re all very excited about this year and getting started.”

Todd Bowles Wants To Prove He’s Right And Everyone Else Is Wrong

Jason Licht has displayed an uncanny ability to find talent in the NFL Draft, as he has found plenty of starting-caliber players in recent years to rebuild the roster and keep the Bucs competitive. While identifying star players over starters has led to some cause for concern, Tampa Bay has constructed a team they believe can be a sum greater than its parts.

That not only holds true from a roster standpoint, but also on the coaching staff.

Todd Bowles had to part ways with some of his tenured defensive assistants over the offseason, bringing in new minds on his side of the football. Defensive line coach Marcus West was the lone outside addition, but cornerbacks coach Rashad Johnson and safeties coach Tim Atkins received promotions and will have more say about the scheme, while also bringing a much-needed spark.

Bucs CBs coach Rashad Johnson and CB Zyon McCollum – Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

A new season brings new energy.

But new energy only matters if it produces different results.

“You’re trying to prove something every year,” Bowles said. “You’re trying to succeed, and you’re trying to persevere. Losing only makes it harder for you as a coach but it’s also exciting at the same time to prove that you’re right and everyone else is wrong. You’re always going into it with that kind of energy. We [brought] in different minds and different perspectives, it’s good to learn from. They’re learning from me, I’m learning from them. It’s been good chemistry so far.”

After getting a substantial vote of confidence from ownership and the general manager, Todd Bowles is firmly in control as the Bucs are betting that continuity and trust are the answer.

Bowles was given another chance to prove his doubters and detractors wrong. All eyes will be on him, but improvement has to start with him and extend to the rest of the coaching staff and roster making similar strides.