Buccaneers' Todd Bowles responds to curious retirement claim

As shared by the JoeBucsFan website, former New England Patriots assistant to the coaching staff and current NFL analyst Michael Lombardi said during the latest edition of his "GM Shuffle" podcast that "everybody thinks" current Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles is "not going to keep his job" and "may retire at the end of the year." 

Bowles left little doubt about his intentions regarding his short-term future when asked by JoeBucsFan about Lombardi's comments. 

"Definitely not retiring," Bowles said. 

Per a story posted by JoeBucsFan in January of this year, Bowles previously acknowledged that he was "not going to make 70 [years old] coaching." He turned just 61 years old in November and currently has 7-6 Tampa Bay in first place in the NFC South standings. 

As for Lombardi's claim, Pro Football Talk's Mike Florio suggested that the Bill Belichick "minion" may have been "trying to speak the vacancy into existence." 

In early November, Florio and others pointed out that Belichick and Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht previously worked together while with the Patriots. Belichick is clearly eager to return to the sidelines in 2025, so much so that he may become the next head coach of the North Carolina Tar Heels if he doesn't soon hear from NFL clubs about potential opportunities. 

Bowles guided the Buccaneers to division titles in his first two seasons in charge, but he began Wednesday with an unimpressive overall regular-season record of 24-23 with the organization. While he led Tampa Bay to a playoff win last January, it's not a stretch to suggest ownership could at least consider looking for an upgrade if the Buccaneers fail to qualify for the playoffs or lose a wild-card contest. 

With all of that said, Lombardi's supposed revelation about Bowles is odd considering, as Florio mentioned, outsiders had "heard nothing to suggest Bowles might walk away" following the season. Before Bowles makes any decision about his future, he'll first look to get the Buccaneers to 8-6 when they play at the 8-5 Los Angeles Chargers this coming Sunday. 

As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed Tampa Bay as a three-point underdog for that game.