On the most recent episode of the 4th and South podcast with Jarvis Landry, former Bucs running back Leonard Fournette talked about Todd Bowles’ future with the team following Tampa Bay’s 26-19 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers, and had some pointed criticism of his former head coach.

The Bucs are now 1-5 on the season after their fourth straight home loss, and Fournette took a shot at Bowles’ notable laid-back nature and coaching style.

“I can say this from being there, playing under Coach Bowles, right?” Fournette said. “He’s not a very vocal. He’s not a vocal coach, right? When we mess up, you know he might yell, but it’s not – it’s not one of those yells that you take serious.

“I mean I respect him, but it’s like when B.A. (Bruce Arians) got on your ass, he got on your ass. Like, ‘Damn, I hope [Arians] don’t chew my ass out again like that again like that. You know what I’m saying?”

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

The Bucs, who are coming off a disappointing 8-9 season that started off 6-2 in 2025, are 3-12 in the last 15 games under Bowles. Are the players no longer believing in Bowles and the coaching staff? Are they tuning Bowles out more and more with every close loss? That could be what Fournette was implying on his recent podcast episode.

Whatever it is, something is happening in Tampa Bay that is preventing this team from winning several winnable games that have come down to the wire over the past two seasons. There is some kind of disconnect occurring that Bowles has been unable to pinpoint and fix.

Leonard Fournette Believes This Is Todd Bowles’ Last Season With The Bucs

Leonard Fournette was a part-time starting running back for the Buccaneers from 2020-22, helping to win Super Bowl LV in Tampa Bay during his first season with the team. Fournette, who became known as Lombardi Lenny, then played a final year in Tampa Bay in 2022 under Todd Bowles when he took over the head coaching duties from Bruce Arians, who retired after the 2021 season.

On his 4th and South podcast Fournette indicated he didn’t have a lot of respect for Bowles on certain days at practice because he paid too much attention to the defense and not the offense. Of course Bowles is the defensive play-caller in Tampa Bay.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch P/R

“I think by Bowles being a a defensive-minded coach, he don’t pay attention to the offensive as much. So I don’t know,” Fournette said. “Maybe favoritism? I can remember like certain days at the practice where he let the defensive guys do – he’d be a little more [lenient] on the defense than the offense. I ain’t respect it, but you know f*ck it. He’s our coach. It is what it is.”

Fournette’s co-host, former NFL wide receiver Jarvis Landry, asked Fournette what the current situation is like in Tampa Bay, which has a 1-5 record, and if Bowles should still be the coach.

“Wholeheartedly I think this might be his last year,” Fournette said. “I think it might be his last year.”

Former Bucs RB Leonard Fournette – Photo by: USA Today

Yet with the Bucs playing the Panthers, who won the NFC South last year with an 8-9 record, in Carolina on Sunday, Tampa Bay isn’t quite dead yet despite its 1-5 record. Division-leading Carolina is just 3-2 and a win over the Panthers in Week 6, combined with a victory over the Falcons the following week, would put the Bucs at 3-5 with a 2-0 record in the division.

Even Fournette, who played on a 2022 division-winning Bucs team with a losing record, acknowledged that.

“But there is hope,” Fournette said. “When I was playing for Tampa we won the division at 8-9. So you all still got a shot, Tampa.”