The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are sitting at a brutal 1-4 through the first five weeks of the 2026 NFL season, firmly planted at the bottom of the NFC South. Their only win so far? A nail-biter against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday Night Football that they almost completely blew. Things are *not* going well, and frankly, they’re staring down what could easily be a bottom-10 season. So, does that mean Todd Bowles is already packing his bags? Not so fast, according to ESPN’s Bill Barnwell, but the path to staying put is incredibly narrow.
Barnwell’s Bottom Line: Stay Afloat Without the QB
Barnwell laid it out plainly: Bowles might actually keep his job for 2027 *if* the Buccaneers can somehow stay in the NFC South race until Baker Mayfield gets back. That’s a huge “if” when you’re 1-4 and your lone win was nearly a disaster. The Week 5 victory over the Cowboys, a primetime win no less, definitely bought Bowles some time and postponed any immediate job changes. But if Tampa goes on another losing streak, Barnwell says Bowles is absolutely “going to walk the plank.” It’s all about maintaining some kind of pulse without their starting quarterback. The pressure is on, and it’s building fast.
The Four-Game Gauntlet That Decides Everything
So, what’s next for Bowles and the Bucs? They’re heading into a brutal four-game stretch before their Week 10 bye that will make or break his tenure. In Week 6, they’ve got the Pittsburgh Steelers. After that, it’s the Carolina Panthers, the Atlanta Falcons, and the Chicago Bears. For Tampa Bay to even *consider* staying afloat in the NFC playoff race, they absolutely have to go 2-2 during those four games. If they stumble to a 1-3 record, they’ll be sitting at a miserable 2-7 heading into the bye, and that, my friends, just won’t cut it. Even if Mayfield makes a speedy return, a 2-7 hole might just be too deep for Bowles to climb out of and save his job. However, if they pull off the impossible and somehow stay alive in the NFC South race with critical wins over the Falcons and Panthers in those next four weeks, we could actually be looking at another year of Todd Bowles. Right now, though, the vibe is definitely trending towards him being fired. He’s got a shot, but these next few weeks are everything for his coaching career beyond 2026.
The Buccaneers face the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 6. Every snap, every drive, every single decision now has massive implications for Todd Bowles’ future in Tampa Bay. It’s win now, or walk the plank.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by The Sporting News.
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