Buccaneers' Star Says Little on Bowles' Job Security

Make no mistake, Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles is in trouble. 

It's hard to think of an NFL franchise that's had as big a fall from grace as Bowles' Bucs have had in less than a year. 

At the beginning of last November, the Bucs were 6-2 and thought to be, at minimum, NFC South Champs, if not kings of the entire conference. 

Tampa has played 13 games since then and only earned two wins. A 2-11 stretch is what would have been expected of Lovie Smith's Bucs. However, the Bucs won four straight NFC South titles, made the playoffs five straight times, and won Super Bowl LV. It's safe to say the standard is higher in the 2020s than it was in the 2010s. 

Now, at 0-4, the Bucs' season already feels like it's on life support, and with Tampa's most important offensive and defensive players on the shelf for the next several weeks, who knows if or when things will get better. 

The Bucs will likely look for a new head coach if things don’t get better soon. The possibility is realistic enough that OT Tristan Wirfs was asked about it after Sunday's loss to the Green Bay Packers at Raymond James Stadium. 

Wirfs was recently asked what his message to the team's owners would be when evaluating Bowles ' job performance. 

"I don't have no comment...," he said. "I love coach Bowles... yeah, I don't know."

One thing Bowles has going for him is that, at least as of this January, the Bucs' ownership loved him.

NFL Insider Jay Glazer reported that the Glazer Family that owns the Bucs (which, to be clear, is not related to Jay) has kept Bowles around because they love him. 

The Glazers have made coaching changes before despite past success. With the late Malcolm Glazer running the show in early 2002, the Bucs fired Tony Dungy, who had just led the Bucs to three straight playoff berths, including an NFC Championship game. Joel and Bryan Glazer were both involved in the hiring and firing of Dungy, who ended up winning a Super Bowl with the Indianapolis Colts and is now in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. 

If Tony Dungy wasn't untouchable, it's hard to think the Bowles, who, despite three playoff appearances in Tampa, is just 35-36 overall, isn't on the hot seat. 

The Bucs take on the Dallas Cowboys in "Jerry World" Thursday Night at 8:15 on Prime Video.