Report: Todd Bowles returning as Buccaneers' coach

Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles told the Tampa Bay Times via text on Wednesday that he will be returning for the 2026 season, the newspaper reported.

Bowles led the franchise to NFC South titles in each of his first three seasons as coach, but Tampa Bay missed the playoffs in 2025 with an 8-9 record.

Bowles has a 35-33 record in four seasons and stands 1-3 in the postseason. He is under contract with the Buccaneers through the 2028 season.

While meeting with reporters on Monday, Bowles stated that he deserved to return for the 2026 season.

"I've earned the chance -- I've won three straight division titles, so that says a lot as far as I'm concerned," Bowles said.

Tampa Bay started 6-2 this season with quarterback Baker Mayfield ranking as one of the NFL's top players during that stretch. However, injuries to Mayfield and other players caused a major setback in the second half of the season.

The Buccaneers returned from a midseason bye to lose three straight and seven of eight games to find themselves two games below .500 entering Week 18.

Tampa Bay posted a 16-14 win over the Carolina Panthers on Saturday, but missed the playoffs when the Atlanta Falcons won their game Sunday, creating a three-way tie for the NFC South crown. The Panthers won the tiebreaker and advanced to the playoffs.

Bowles met the Glazer family, who own the Buccaneers, on Tuesday and was reportedly scheduled to meet with members of his coaching staff on Wednesday and Thursday.

Tampa Bay's top record under Bowles is a 10-7 mark in 2024. The lone playoff victory under Bowles came in the 2023 season when the Buccaneers mauled the Philadelphia Eagles 32-9 in the NFC wild-card round.

Bowles has a 61-74 record in eight-plus seasons as a head coach. He went 24-40 from 2015-18 with the New York Jets and also went 2-1 in an interim role in 2011 with the Miami Dolphins after Tony Sparano was fired.

--Field Level Media