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Tampa Bay Buccaneers will not be in the John Harbaugh sweepstakes, or any head coaching search for that matter, heading into 2026.
Todd Bowles will remain as Bucs head coach in 2026 after meeting with the team's owners, the Glazer family, on Tuesday, according to a report Tampa Bay Times,
However, Bowles told the publication that there will be changes to his coaching staff next season. He did not say what these changes would be. But things will be different in Tampa Bay after a disastrous second half that left the team out of the playoffs.
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Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles arrives before their game against the New Orleans Saints at the Caesars Superdome. (Matthew Hinton/Imagn Images)
The Bucs were 6–2 at the start of the season and many believed they would win their fourth straight NFC South title. However, the Carolina Panthers won the title despite losing to the Bucs in Week 18 due to NFL tiebreaker rules.
Atlanta FalconsAn upset of the Los Angeles Rams in Week 17 changed everything.
PANTHERS ADVANCED PLAYOFFS AFTER FALCONS VICTORY OVER SAINTS; PIRATES ELIMINATED
There was talk of keeping Bowles' job if the Bucs didn't make the playoffs. However, the Glazer family and the rest of the front office are giving Bowles a chance to redeem himself and the team for at least one more season.
Tampa Bay won just two of its final nine games after going 6-2 to finish the year 8-9, the same record as the Panthers and Falcons.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive coordinator Todd Bowles watches from the sidelines as the team plays against the Carolina Panthers on December 26, 2021 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
In Bowles' four seasons leading the Bucs, the team is just 35-33 despite success in the division. They never made it past the division round in those seasons, and Bowles' best record was 10-7 in 2024.
However, not everything about the Bucs falls on Bowles' shoulders, even if he is their head coach. Injuries played a big role in the team's decline, especially on the offensive line. There were also long-term injuries to receivers. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, running back Bucky Irving, who stole the show in his rookie campaign in 2024, was also sidelined for multiple games.
The Bucs are hoping that a change in coaching staff, more players via free agency and, most importantly, keeping their top leader in place can bode well for 2026.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles takes the field before the game against the Miami Dolphins on December 28, 2025 at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida. (Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire)
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Given how the division has finished, the NFC South is wide open come 2026, although it appears the Panthers, Falcons and Saints are starting to catch up in terms of competitiveness.
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