Despite an underwhelming performance in the regular season, the Buccaneers plan to retain coach Todd Bowles in 2023, regardless of the result of Monday’s wild-card round playoff game against the Cowboys, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Bowles, 59, posted an 8–9 record in his first season at the helm for the Bucs after taking over for Bruce Arians last spring. Though Tampa never won more than two games in a row, the club narrowly won the NFC South and clinched the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoffs.
While the Buccaneers’ performance has left something to be desired, the Glazer family, which owns the franchise, have never fired a head coach after just one season on the job. Bowles also delivered Tampa just its eighth division title in franchise history.
Still, the year certainly wasn’t what the Buccaneers, who are just two seasons removed from winning the Super Bowl, envisioned when Tom Brady returned to the team after his brief retirement. Nevertheless, the 45-year-old quarterback has defended the job done by Bowles, which is a strong endorsement as the group enters the postseason.
“He’s done a great job and [I’m] just enjoying my time with him,” Brady said last week, per the Tampa Bay Times. “Obviously, I played against him for quite a while, too. He’s got great presence, great leadership. Yeah, he does a great job. I think there’s high expectations, he’s got a lot of experience and it’s been a lot of fun.”
Awaiting the Buccaneers in the wild-card game is a 12–4 Cowboys team that is looking to advance to the divisional round for the first time since 2018. Though Tampa Bay will have home field advantage, Dallas enters the game as the favorite.
The NFC playoff tilt will get underway at 8:15 p.m. ET on Monday at Raymond James Stadium.
