Buccaneers’ Todd Bowles Now Has Best Odds to Be First NFL Coach Fired

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had a rough start to the 2026 NFL season.

Literally everyone associated with the organization is underperforming across the board, whether it be the players, position groups, coaches or the front office. As a result, it's no surprise to see many of the fans in Tampa voicing their displeasure with some combination, if not all, of the aforementioned contributors.

When things go wrong, the first person who gets blamed is the head coach. And that reality is certainly taking place right now with the Buccaneers, as the majority of fans have been extremely outspoken regarding their desire to have Bowles relieved of his duties as the team's head coach.

However, the fans don't get to decide who is at fault, who stays, or who goes. That responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of GM Jason Licht and the owners of the team, the Glazers.

Todd Bowles Is Officially On The Hot Seat

The oddsmakers in Las Vegas feel pretty confident that Bucs' coach is the most likely to be axed first this year. BetOnline has Bowles as a heavy favorite (-140) to be the first NFL head coach fired this season. Houston Texans' head coach, DeMeco Ryans, has the second best chance, but his odds are significantly longer at +150.

It's no surprise to see these two coaches at the top of the list, considering both the Bucs and Texans find themselves without a win almost a quarter of the way through the season despite high expectations coming into the year.

The Results Speak for Themselves

There's no question that Bowles has worn out his welcome in Tampa Bay. There was a time when his complex and highly aggressive defensive scheme was a major advantage for the Buccaneers, but as time has gone on, he has, in many ways, failed to adapt his scheme to match both the growing trends around the league and the specific personnel he has at his disposal.

His lack of success as a head coach further cements his status as a coach who deserves to be fired. Not only has Bowles been atrocious with his timeouts and overly conservative game management decisions, but he has also had a disappointing record of 35-37 in the regular season and is 1-3 in the postseason since being appointed the Bucs' head coach back in 2022.

Considering the depth of talent he's had on the roster during that time and the lack of quality competition in the NFC South, that lack of success in the win-loss column is simply inexcusable. Dating back to last season, the Bucs have also lost 11 of their last 13 regular-season games, which is the worst record in the entire NFL during that time.

Despite everything working against Bowles' job security moving forward, the unfortunate reality for Bucs fans who want to see him fired is the fact that the Glazers have proven unwilling to do so to previous head coaches during the season, despite similarly dreadful results.

Is Bowles Really the 'Best Bet' to Be Fired First?

Nov 13, 2022; Munich, Germany; Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Joel Glazer watches during an NFL International Series game against the Seattle Seahawks at Allianz Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

For those seriously considering taking betting action on the Bowles being the first head coach fired this season, I would proceed with extreme caution.

Despite some truly horrendous coaching performances from the likes of Lovie Smith, Greg Schiano and Raheem Morris since the Glazer family purchased the organization back in 1995, they have never once fired a head coach during the season.

So even though the results that Bowles has provided as head coach (especially recently) would undoubtedly warrant a midseason firing, the historical trends of the Buccaneers' ownership group contradict that action.

Barring some sort of miracle, it feels like Bowles being fired is a foregone conclusion. That being said, it would come as a big surprise to see the Glazers relieve the Bucs' head coach of his duties before the season's end.

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