Does Buccaneers' Liam Coen decision put Todd Bowles on hot seat?

Even before the Tampa Bay Buccaneers suffered an upset 23-20 wild-card playoff loss to the Washington Commanders back on Jan. 12, some suggested that the Jacksonville Jaguars could target Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen as a head-coaching candidate this offseason. 

However, ESPN's Adam Schefter reported on Wednesday that Coen will stay with Tampa Bay for at least one more season "on a new contract that now will place him amongst the highest-paid coordinators in the NFL." 

That's undeniably good news for the short-term future of the Buccaneers, but Coen's return could inevitably put head coach Todd Bowles on the hot seat regarding the 2025 campaign. 

The Buccaneers have claimed three straight NFC South division titles under Bowles, but his critics routinely mention that he's accumulated an unimpressive overall regular-season record of 27-24 with the club. Additionally, Bowles' teams have lost three of four postseason games since January 2023. 

Meanwhile, Coen helped starting quarterback Baker Mayfield enjoy a career season after Dave Canales left Tampa Bay last winter to become the Carolina Panthers head coach. According to Pro Football Reference, Mayfield ended Week 18 of the 2024 campaign ranked fourth in the NFL among qualified players with a 106.8 passer rating, third with 4,500 passing yards and tied for second with 41 passing touchdowns. Per ESPN stats, Coen's offense ranked third with an average of 399.5 yards gained per game.

Mayfield could've reached free agency in March 2024 but instead signed a three-year contract to stay with Tampa Bay. Logic suggests Buccaneers ownership will want to both get the most out of that investment and also keep the 29-year-old happy. Mayfield has a great working relationship with Coen, but Coen could once again become a hot candidate for head-coaching jobs if Tampa Bay's offense impresses next season. 

As Josh Hill noted for The Pewter Plank, Buccaneers team captain Lavonte David recently clapped back at Tampa Bay fans who wanted the club to move on from Bowles after the loss to Washington. Such supporters could get their wish roughly 12 months from now if the 2025 Buccaneers fail to win at least one playoff game and if Coen decides at that time he's ready to become the main man for a franchise.