Why Buccaneers may, may not make Todd Bowles move after Week 5 game vs. Cowboys

A September report suggested that Tampa Bay Buccaneers ownership would wait until the end of the ongoing season before potentially firing head coach Todd Bowles. 

However, that story surfaced before Tampa Bay starting quarterback Baker Mayfield went down with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand and before the Buccaneers suffered a 17-14 home loss to the Green Bay Packers (2-2) that dropped Bowles' team to 0-4 on Sunday. 

The Buccaneers won't get any real break, as they have to play at the 2-2 Dallas Cowboys this coming Thursday night. For a piece published on Monday morning, NFL insider Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk and NBC Sports hinted that Thursday night could go down as Bowles' last stand with Tampa Bay.

Could Buccaneers make Todd Bowles move before second weekend of October? 

"It won’t get any easier on Thursday night, with a short-week trip to Dallas," Florio wrote about the Buccaneers. "The Cowboys are not easy to beat at home, and Tampa Bay will have an undrafted rookie at quarterback against Dak Prescott and company. Then comes the mini-bye, which provides an opportunity for the Bucs to make a coaching change. There’s a benefit to an in-season termination; it gives the team a longer runway to search for the next coach."

Since the Buccaneers entered Week 9 of the 2025 season with a record of 6-2, Tampa Bay has been one of the league's worst teams. Bowles' side ended last season with a record of 8-9, and it seems to be wishful thinking for anybody associated with Tampa Bay to believe that undrafted rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels will guide the club to an upset win in Dallas. 

As of early Thursday afternoon, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Buccaneers as massive 9.5-point road underdogs against the Cowboys.

Why the Buccaneers could stick with Todd Bowles beyond the Cowboys game

"Working in Bowles' benefit is the fact that there’s no clear candidate on his staff to serve as the interim head coach," Florio added. "There’s no defensive coordinator. Offensive coordinator Zac Robinson is in his first year with the team, after being fired by the Falcons. The special-teams coordinator is Danny Smith. The Bucs could go outside the organization for an interim hire, like the Colts did in 2022 when Jeff Saturday replaced Frank Reich. Or the Bucs could just ride it out, quietly planning for a new direction in 2027 while allowing the balance of 2026 to play itself out."

The previously mentioned Mayfield may try to return for Tampa Bay's Week 6 home game against the Pittsburgh Steelers (2-2) on Oct. 18. One wonders whether he will be playing under an interim head coach whenever he's back in the lineup.