Did Buccaneers reach out to John Harbaugh before Todd Bowles decision?

On Wednesday, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times and Jenna Laine of ESPN confirmed that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were retaining head coach Todd Bowles for another season. 

Some previously wondered if Buccaneers ownership could reach out to John Harbaugh after he was stunningly fired by the Baltimore Ravens on Tuesday. According to well-known NFL/Denver Broncos insider Benjamin Allbright, somebody within the Buccaneers wanted to know if  Harbaugh would have any interest in replacing Bowles this winter. 

Did John Harbaugh turn Buccaneers down without an interview?

"Now, I’ll say this," Allbright explained during an appearance on "The Big Doug and Carmi Show," per the JoeBucsFan website. "Tampa called about Harbaugh, and they were told that Harbaugh kind of wants his own GM. And so, that kind of nixed that, because they’re keeping Jason Licht." 

ESPN's Adam Schefter previously reported that at least one team that doesn't have a coaching vacancy had reached out to Harbaugh’s agent. Some have assumed that team was the Miami Dolphins. 

As for Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht and Bowles, it was announced this past June that the two had signed multiyear contract extensions. A December report claimed that Buccaneers ownership wouldn't want to pay the buyout associated with Bowles' deal. 

Why Todd Bowles hot-seat chatter continues to hover over the Buccaneers

Tampa Bay won the division title each season from 2022-24 under Bowles, but the club also endured in-season swoons over each of those campaigns. Most recently, the 2025 Buccaneers went from 6-2 to 7-9. While Tampa Bay earned a Week 18 victory over the Carolina Panthers, the Panthers ultimately won the NFC South division title via a tiebreaker advantage.

It certainly seems to outsiders that at least Bowles will enter next season on the hot seat. Meanwhile, Harbaugh is expected to be a top candidate for every NFL head-coach opening except for Baltimore's. 

One wonders if Buccaneers ownership will ultimately regret sticking with Bowles and Licht if Harbaugh essentially becomes the head of football operations for a different franchise and then guides that club to at least one Super Bowl title.