The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in an odd spot heading into the 2026 campaign. While they have a ton of talent on their roster, they are fresh off a disappointing season that saw the team collapse down the stretch and miss out on the playoffs entirely. After losing some key players over the offseason, expectations are mixed for Tampa Bay.
One thing that is clear is that head coach Todd Bowles needs to put together a strong season with the Bucs, or else he could find himself out of a job. At the very least, Bowles’ seat is warm entering the season, but if you ask former Buccaneers Super Bowl MVP Dexter Jackson, he thinks the team would be making a mistake if it ultimately decided to move on from him.
Dexter Jackson Doesn’t Want Buccaneers to Fire Todd Bowles
Having won the MVP Award in Super Bowl XXXVII with the Buccaneers, Jackson knows what it takes to win at the highest level in the NFL. Since taking over as the Bucs head coach in 2022, Bowles has led Tampa Bay to the playoffs three times, with the lone exception coming last season when the Carolina Panthers improbably stole the NFC South division from them.
Losing the division certainly hurts, but the way in which it happened is the most concerning development. After racing out to a 6-2 record, the Buccaneers only managed to win two of their final nine games after they returned from their bye week in Week 9. Losses to teams like the Panthers, New Orleans Saints, Atlanta Falcons, and a Miami Dolphins team that was starting seventh-round rookie Quinn Ewers at quarterback were simply crushing to watch.
Bowles managed to hold onto his job this offseason, but he is operating with a sense of urgency now, as he revamped his coaching staff shortly after the campaign came to a close. If the team crawls out of the gate, though, that could wind up being a death sentence for Bowles. Jackson, however, doesn’t think Bowles should be on the hot seat, as he trusts the track record of success the veteran coach put together prior to the 2025 season.
“He’s been head coach for four seasons and won the NFC South in three of those seasons,” Jackson said in an interview with Betway Insider. “There are teams in the NFL who haven’t won in years and are desperate for just one division championship. Because of the ‘microwave’ world we live in, people want championships right now. They don’t understand the process. They don’t understand what it takes to be a successful team.”
Should the Buccaneers Consider Firing Todd Bowles?
GettyTodd Bowles enters 2026 on the hot seat
There’s no doubt that the 2025 season was disappointing, but Jackson is right in pointing out that, prior to the team’s collapse, Bowles’ track record while in Tampa Bay was very good. One bad season shouldn’t seal his fate, and while it hasn’t yet, it’s clear that there are going to be some high expectations in 2026.
Bowles’ future with the Buccaneers will depend on how his team performs. If Tampa Bay struggles early, Bowles may not manage to make it through the first half of the season. But even if the team finds its way to the playoffs, only to crash and burn early, Bowles could still conceivably be on the hot seat. The Bucs want to see a deep playoff run, and if Bowles can’t provide that, he could find himself without a job sooner than expected.
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