Buccaneers 'definitely' made John Harbaugh move before Todd Bowles decision

NFL/Denver Broncos insider Benjamin Allbright raised eyebrows when he recently reported that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers "called about" former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh and learned that Harbaugh "wants" his own general manager with his next team. 

The Buccaneers subsequently retained head coach Todd Bowles for another season. During a Thursday appearance on Tampa Bay sports radio station WDAE, Allbright expanded on what allegedly took place before the Buccaneers made their Bowles decision.

Buccaneers "definitely made the inquiry" about John Harbaugh

"They definitely made the inquiry there," Allbright said about the Buccaneers' supposed interest in Harbaugh, per the JoeBucsFan website. "And, you know, Harbaugh kind of let it know, you know, kind of what it is that he wants through his people. Bryan Harlan is his agent. And, you know, they kind of let it be known, 'Hey, look, you know, this is what I’m looking for.'" 

The Buccaneers signed Bowles and general manager Jason Licht to multiyear contract extensions last offseason. The buyout associated with those deals may be why at least Bowles still has his job after Tampa Bay missed the playoffs and finished this season with a record of 8-9.

"[Buccaneers ownership] realized fairly quickly that that’s not compatible with where they’re at as an organization," Allbright continued. "They really like Jason Licht, and obviously, Jason Licht has been a great general manager. I think they just decided, 'OK, well [Harbaugh] is a great coach, but he’s kind of got a different vision with what he wants and where we’re at. So we’re going to keep our general manager and give him the opportunity to run it back with his head coach." 

Some view the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins as the early favorites to win Harbaugh's services. He also reportedly has "legitimate interest" in possibly coaching the Cleveland Browns. 

Did Buccaneers ownership force Todd Bowles to blow the coaching staff up? 

Shortly after it was learned on Thursday that the Buccaneers had parted ways with offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard and quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis, reporters such as ESPN's Jenna Laine revealed that Tampa Bay also fired special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross and defensive line coach Charlie Strong. Additionally, senior offensive assistant Tom Moore and safeties coach Nick Rapone confirmed they were retiring. 

"A source told ESPN that these were not moves mandated by ownership after the Bucs finished 8-9 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2019," Laine said. "Instead, the source said that Bowles made these moves on his own."

It remains to be seen if those decisions will help Bowles keep his job through and beyond the 2026 season.