The Bucs are officially in the 2026 offseason after failing to reach the playoffs for the first time in six seasons.

The biggest question for Tampa Bay is if the Buccaneers will be making a change at the head coaching position or deciding to stay with Todd Bowles?

It was a severely frustrating season for Bowles and Tampa Bay as the team let a 6-2 record disintegrate into an 8-9 finish, which wasn’t good enough to win the very weak NFC South, which is the worst division in football.

Is it justified for the Bucs to move on from Bowles? Yes, as he’s just 35-33 as Tampa Bay’s head coach with two 8-9 seasons and no more than 10 wins in a season. That, in addition to a 1-3 playoff record.

Will the Buccaneers move on from Bowles after four years at the helm? I’m not so sure just yet. There are a lot of factors at play, such as what candidates are out there that will appear to improve the team.

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

It’s not as high profile of a candidate class as it was last season when former Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson went to the Bears, former Bucs offensive coordinator Liam Coen went to the Jaguars and former Titans head coach Mike Vrabel went to the Patriots. Each of the coaches won their division and have a home playoff game in their first seasons as head coach.

The Bucs Are Already Behind If They Move On From Todd Bowles

Whether or not to move on from Todd Bowles is a very important decision that the Glazer family has to think about. It should be as thorough of a thought process as it can be since it would impact the direction of the Buccaneers for years to come.

At the same time, the clock is ticking. The longer the Buccaneers wait on a decision, the less time they’ll have to find their next coach as there are other NFL teams that will be competing for available candidates.

The process just got expedited even more with the Falcons firing head coach Raheem Morris after two seasons on Sunday night, because that means Tampa Bay could be competing with a division opponent for their next head coach. What if the Buccaneers end up being interested in the same candidate as the Falcons are? Atlanta has already begun the coaching search as of Monday morning.

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield and Falcons HC Raheem Morris – Photo by: USA Today

Atlanta would already be a step ahead knowing they need a coach. They can already start compiling  a list of coaches that they would like to interview. If the Bucs wait until later in the week to ultimately decide to move on from Todd Bowles, for all we know the Falcons could have already found their next head coach – or at least are further along in the search.

There’s a case to be made the if a candidate had his choice of coaching the Falcons or the Buccaneers, Atlanta could be the better choice given its hot, four-game winning streak to end the season and the improved play of its defense.

Several Teams Racing For Next Head Coach

Plus, the Falcons aren’t the only team looking for a new head coach. As it stands as of noon on Monday, the Giants, Titans, Browns, Raiders and Falcons have all fired their head coaches. There could be a couple other teams following suit by the time this article is read. The more time it takes for the Bucs to make a decision on Todd Bowles’ future, there might not be as many options available.

This isn’t to say that Tampa Bay needs to rush and make a rash decision. But understand the circumstances facing the team right now.

If Bowles is out, the odds are that the Bucs are probably looking for an offensive-minded head coach. Knowing that the Falcons have a young quarterback in Michael Penix Jr. that needs to be developed, they’re likely looking for an offensive-minded head coach as well.

The Raiders have the first pick in the NFL Draft and are in need of a quarterback, while the Titans and Giants have quarterbacks going into their second year that need development, too.

Bucs GM Jason Licht, co-owners Darcie Glazer Kassewitz and Joel Glazer, head coach Todd Bowles and senior football consultant Bruce Arians – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

It’s not a guarantee that Tampa Bay would pick an offensive-minded head coach to replace Bowles given how few ideal candidates there are , but does the team feel good about going with what could be the fourth-best option on the board for an offensive-minded coach if they wait too long? Can Tampa Bay stomach losing an offensive coach that they liked to a division opponent like Atlanta just because they took longer to decide that they wanted to make a coaching change in the first place?

These are all scenarios that the Glazers and general manager Jason Licht need to consider as they weigh out the options of keeping or cutting ties with Todd Bowles. The Falcons already made their move – and that may force the Bucs to expedite their decision.