In the midst of growing speculation surrounding Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles, his players are showing him plenty of support.
One of the biggest question marks as the NFL enters its offseason surrounds the future of Todd Bowles as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Speculation has been mounting, at least among the public, about whether or not the franchise should bring Bowles back for a fifth season in charge following another 8-9 season and missing the playoffs for the first time since 2019.
There is at least one group of people that is fully supportive of Bowles and that is the players of the Buccaneers organization.
That starts with one of the anchors of the offensive line, offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs.
“I love coach Bowles,” Wirfs said about Bowles. “I see all the talk on Twitter, I really don't care about it — it's just people sitting at home, talking about it. We know what we have in this building. If something happens, something happens, if something doesn't, something doesn't. The season is coming regardless, and we're all gonna be ready.”
Another player that added support for Bowles coming back is second-year wide receiver Jalen McMillan, who battled a neck injury throughout the season.
“He's a great leader,” McMillan said, via River Wells. “He's somebody who shows up to work every day and he's going to give you the same type of effort, every day. He's my guy. I love him to death. Hopefully, he stays here.”
It was a disappointing finish for the Buccaneers. After a 5-1 start and a 6-2 first half of the season, the wheels completely fell off and the Buccaneers would win just two of their last nine games.
They finished the season with a win over the Carolina Panthers but the Atlanta Falcons, who are also now looking for a head coach after firing Raheem Morris Sunday, then defeated the New Orleans Saints on Sunday to create a three-way tie atop the NFC South, a tie that did not favor the Buccaneers and left them on the outside looking in.
As a result, they will now look ahead to the draft with the 15th overall pick. The question is whether or not Bowles will help make that draft pick.
His players clearly want him to stay. But ultimately, ownership has the final say. It’s looking more like the team will keep Bowles for another season, but things can change quickly.