Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles walks off the field during halftime against the Los Angeles Rams Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

NFL insider gives update on Buccaneers' Todd Bowles ahead of Panthers showdown

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By River Wells | Last updated Jan 3, 2026 12:00 PM ET

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had an electric start in 2025, starting out 5-1 and entering their bye week at 6-2. Since then, they've had an unbelievable collapse, winning just one of their last eight games to end up at 7-9 heading into Week 18.

The Bucs have a Week 18 matchup against the Carolina Panthers, which they need to win to potentially make the playoffs and win the NFC South — and even then, they need help, as the New Orleans Saints must then defeat the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday to help them win the division. With that in mind, the Bucs have a very low chance of making the playoffs this year.

Naturally, that has led to a lot of criticism for head coach Todd Bowles. Bowles has seen a midseason dip and a fight to win the division every year he's been head coach, and this will be his second losing record in four years with Tampa Bay. If the Bucs were to lose on Saturday, he'd be 34-34 as Buccaneers head coach, and he's currently 1-3 in the playoffs.

Despite that, though, he's won the NFC South three years in a row before this, and despite calls for his job, he might have some grace from Bucs ownership. The Athletic's NFL insider, Diana Russini, wrote an article on what she's been hearing around the league going into Week 18, and she had a tidbit on Bowles and Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht.

Another insider says Todd Bowles is safe

Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Russini wrote in her piece that, even if the Buccaneers miss the playoffs, Bowles and Licht appear to be safe.

"The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ ownership group has always waited until the end of the season to have conversations about the futures of key decision-makers," Russini wrote. "Coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht, who both signed multiyear extensions in June, have won division titles each of the last three seasons and appear to be safe even if the Bucs miss the playoffs."

This statement echoes the thoughts on a few other people close to the organization, including Hall of Fame cornerback Ronde Barber, former head coach Bruce Arians and NFL insider Ian Rapoport. There are a lot of people who seem to believe that Bowles is safe, including Russini, so that's not for nothing, but there's always something to be said about the wording of these reports. Russini believes that Bowles "appears" to be safe, and a disastrous outing to finish 7-10 and the ensuing fan response could change things quickly.

That being said, trends seem to point toward Bowles making his return in 2026. And if that's the case, he likely has to show some significant improvement, as he's definitely sitting on a warm seat regardless of whether or not he gets fired this year.