John Romano: Now that he has a new contract, will Todd Bowles finally get his due?

John Romano, Tampa Bay Times on Jun 29, 2025

Published in Football

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TAMPA, Fla. — Tell me, which do you prefer:

A madman on the sideline? A head coach who screams at referees, gets in the face of his players and generally behaves as if the result of a football game will alter the course of mankind?

Or are you OK with just winning games?

Tell me, which do you prefer:

A provocateur at the podium? A head coach who berates the media, demeans his players and seems to have forgotten that his job is to be a leader and not a reality TV star?

Or do you want to win division titles?

You probably know where I’m going with this. The Buccaneers have given Todd Bowles a three-year contract extension, and it was absolutely the right thing to do as his original deal was winding down. Sometimes, nice guys really do finish first.

Granted, this idea is not universally embraced. There is a segment, perhaps a significant segment, of Tampa Bay fans who think Bowles is more impediment than asset. They say he’s too stoic. Too soft-spoken. Too conservative. Too whatever.

The NFC South standings would disagree.

The Bucs have won three consecutive division titles under Bowles, which is as many as Jon Gruden won in seven years in Tampa Bay. It’s as many as Tony Dungy and John McKay won combined.

But, but, but … the South has been the NFL’s weakest division in recent seasons. Winning the South is not the prize it might otherwise seem. And you know what? That’s absolutely true. But it’s also true that Bowles has pulled this off while remaking the roster with half his players coming straight from the quad to the huddle as the Bucs have crawled out of a salary cap nightmare following the free-spending days of Tom Brady and a Super Bowl title.

Undoubtedly, general manager Jason Licht and his crew deserve a lot of credit for providing incredible value with later-round draft choices and bargain free agents, and so it’s no surprise that Licht also earned a well-deserved extension.

And I’m not suggesting Bowles is on a Hall of Fame trajectory with a 27-24 record since 2022, but the Bucs have benefited from his steady demeanor. They’ve thrived behind his quiet optimism. Young players have grown, and recycled players have prospered. The Bucs have had some wobbly starts, but they’ve gone 13-5 in December and January during the past three regular seasons, and that’s a sign of a coach holding a locker room together.

The problem, when viewed from the outside, is that Bowles doesn’t necessarily fit the mold of a no-nonsense head coach whose heart is plastered on his sleeve. He’s not as fiery as Dan Campbell, as cocky as Jim Harbaugh or as ruthless as Bill Belichick.

Bowles, 61, is more like the college professor with a waiting list of students. A savvy, old head with old-school expectations but a softened soul.

He broke into the NFL in 1986 as an undrafted safety and hung around for eight years and 82 starts. He’s about to begin his 27th season as a coach in the league, including apprenticeships under Super Bowl winners such as Bill Parcells, Andy Reid and Bruce Arians.

His reputation is built around his prowess as a defensive coordinator, but Bowles is not stuck in some wing-T version of the NFL. Since he took over as head coach in 2022, the Bucs have attempted more passes than any team in the league.

And that’s with two of his hand-picked offensive coordinators leaving for head coaching jobs after one season apiece in Tampa Bay. If the Bucs win the NFC South in 2025 — and they’re the favorites heading into training camp — Bowles will have won four consecutive division titles with four different offensive coordinators. How many head coaches have pulled that off?

The point is, this contract extension is the perfect time to recognize the work Bowles has done. We can debate the percentage of credit everyone is due — from owners to front office to players and coaches — but it is folly to suggest Bowles has somehow been a problem.

More than half the teams in the NFL have changed coaches since Bowles was promoted from defensive coordinator to replace the retiring Arians in 2022. That’s a lot of disappointment and a lot of rebuilding in a relatively short amount of time.

Meanwhile, the Bucs went for broke with Brady in 2020-21 while going 29-10 (including the postseason) and winning a Super Bowl. Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Leonard Fournette, Ryan Jensen, Ali Marpet, Cameron Brate, Ndamukong Suh and Jason Pierre-Paul have all since retired. Carlton Davis, Sean Murphy-Bunting, Devin White, Scott Miller and Alex Cappa have all moved on.

And amidst all that change, the Bucs have never budged from atop the NFC South.

So, go ahead, pine for your sideline tantrums.

Personally, I prefer winning.

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