Todd Bowles Reveals Real Reason Why Buccaneers Fired Former OC Josh Grizzard

When the Tampa Bay Buccaneers front office decided to retain head coach Todd Bowles following the conclusion of the 2025 regular season, many fans scoffed. Surprised, frustrated, disappointed — there were many feelings expressed by those who believe Todd Bowles was the primary culprit for the team's disappointing 2025 campaign. Many fans and critics strongly believed (and hoped) that Todd Bowles' time in Tampa Bay had run its course.

Clearly, though, Jason Licht and the Glazer family didn't see it that way.

What complicates the optics for Bowles though is the fact that he fired so many members of his own staff in the process of retaining his own position atop the coaching hierarchy of the franchise. The implication of that action is simple; it feels like a deferral of accountability.

Either way, those who criticize the Buccaneers for not firing Bowles are not the same people who are paid millions of dollars each year to make decisions for the betterment of the franchise. While their passion is appreciated by the franchise, their opinions don't actually carry any weight.

So at least for now, whether you like it or not, Bowles is the guy in Tampa Bay.

This week, for the first time, Bowles offered some valuable insight regarding the decision to fire key members of his staff — specifically, offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard.

Speaking with JoeBucsFan at the NFL Combine, Bowles acknowledged that it was his decision to move on from the first-year OC.

Bowles says firing Josh Grizzard was his decision

Nov 23, 2025; Inglewood, California, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles looks on before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images | Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images

“It was my call. I thought ‘Grizz’ was about maybe two or three years from putting it all together,” Bowles said.

He elaborated on what it was about Grizzard's playcalling that made him feel it was necessary to find someone else for 2026.

“He came up with some good schemes and we had some good things, but we didn’t kind of call them all the time,” Bowles said. “We would run them in practice, we didn’t run them in a game."

Bowles also acknowledged that injuries played a role, but that can't be an excuse for a lack of production.

Injuries are not an excuse

Oct 20, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans (13) lays on the turf after an injury against the Detroit Lions during the first half at Ford Field. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

“There were certain situations that we probably could have done better. And it just felt like we were stagnant and we were not where we needed to be" Bowles continued. "We had a lot of offensive line injuries. I get that part of it. But we have to win with backups because they’re on the team for a reason — injuries are not an excuse."

Bowles also suggested that the lack of improvement on offense throughout the season was troubling.

“I just didn’t think we progressed offensively the way I thought we were going to progress" he said.

Final thoughts

It's interesting to hear Bowles suggest that injuries are not an excuse, and to criticize the offense for not progressing enough as the season went on. If that's the case, then who is responsible for the Buccaneers' inconsistent execution on defense all season long?

After making the decision to fire almost his entire staff while retaining his position, Bowles is going to have a ton of pressure to perform in 2026. Hopefully for Bowles and the Buccaneers, new offensive coordinator Zac Robinson proves to be an upgrade over Josh Grizzard, who was fired after just one season as the offensive coordinator under Todd Bowles.

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2026 season.

Follow BucsGameday on Twitter and Facebook