Todd Bowles Explains Josh Grizzard Firing
February 24th, 2026
No more bonding at Bucs practices between Josh Grizzard and Baker Mayfield.
Last month, Todd Bowles fired 2025 offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard, a guy Bowles handpicked.
Today, in an exclusive sitdown with Joe, Bowles explained why.
“It was my call. I thought ‘Grizz’ was about maybe two or three years from putting it all together,” Bowles said.
So it seems Bowles didn’t have the time to burn to allow Grizzard to develop as a top-shelf NFL playcaller.
Another reason Bowles decided to move on was that too often, Grizzard crafted strong gameplans that worked in practices but he didn’t use those plans in the actual games.
“I don’t know; 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.
“And I thought from a head coaching standpoint, 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 suggested he got the vibe Grizzard wanted to wave a white flag due to injuries.
“Granted, we had a lot of offensive line injuries,” Bowles began. “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.
“I just didn’t think we progressed offensively the way I thought we were going to progress.”
Joe asked Bowles if veteran Bucs felt the same way and if that was the feedback he got from players after the season.
“I’m sure [players felt like I did] about certain plays,” Bowles said. “I don’t want to say all the way around they felt that way. We did some good things. I’m not going to say we didn’t.
“And Josh has some good schemes and he’s a good coach, I think, and I think his time is coming. But I thought we needed a change there, and as a head coach it’s my job to do it.”
Joe also asked Bowles if anyone higher up the food chain at One Buc Palace influenced or nudged Bowles to let Grizzard go. No, Bowles said, the move was 100 percent his call.
But it seems Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht was on board with Bowles flipping from Grizzard to Zac Robinson. Licht said in his press conference today that having a Liam Coen-like offense coordinator should be “beneficial” to several Bucs players.
February 24th, 2026 at 4:09 pm
Wow, great job Joe – I think that’s the most interesting comments I’ve ever heard from Bowles, and that’s not a backhanded compliment.
Nice job from Bowles too, actually explaining why he made the move instead of giving the generic coach talk answers we get 99% of the time.
February 24th, 2026 at 4:14 pm
RIP to Ronyell Whitaker. He started out as a feisty defensive back and had a good game against the Saints. Passes away at 46. Way too young.
February 24th, 2026 at 4:15 pm
You are right the backups are on the team for a reason-because Jason Licht selected them to be on the team-Jason Licht better ball out in the draft and Free Agency, because if the ship sinks again this year it will not be just Todd’s azz on the firing line.
February 24th, 2026 at 4:18 pm
The offense got worse as it got healthier last season. I understand Mayfield may have been less that 100%, but c’mon. We should have been better on offense (defense, too) down the stretch.
February 24th, 2026 at 4:20 pm
let me guess, Grizz is going to turn into Baker and want revenge because BUCS did him so wrong lol….
well, i will say, the 1st first i saw white and bucky both in the backfield vs philly, i thought Grizz was about to get innovative and unleash a potent rushing attack because that play gained 11yards if im not mistaken….then it got shelved due to bucky being hurt
Grizz threw the 2RB set out again vs the PATS with White and Tucker in the backfield and Tucker gained 10yards…never saw the 2RB set again
Grizz was in over his head but keep it real, he was scapegoated…
GO BUCS!!!!
February 24th, 2026 at 4:22 pm
Wow! Did joe ask what the head coach thought of the defensive play calling and why he chose to keep the defensive coordinator,injuries were not nearly as much a factor on that side of the ball. Did this scheme work in practice because I’m sure this offense would have lit up this defense with recievers and backs running wide open in practice and Baker getting zero pressure.
February 24th, 2026 at 4:24 pm
TBBucs1976 Says:
February 24th, 2026 at 4:18 pm
The offense got worse as it got healthier last season. I understand Mayfield may have been less that 100%, but c’mon. We should have been better on offense (defense, too) down the stretch.
———–
If your QB can’t accurately throw a 4 yard pass with the game on the line (vs NO), then what exactly are you supposed to do — in particular when you can’t run because you’re missing both your starting guards and don’t have good backups.
If Baker played even as well as a very low-end starting QB down the stretch, the Bucs win all four of those games they lost that cost them the playoffs. But Baker was terrible when it mattered most, and that tanked the season.
February 24th, 2026 at 4:26 pm
Of course it worked when they ran them in practice, he was facing Bowles defense. Hey-yo !
February 24th, 2026 at 4:37 pm
813bucboi Says:
February 24th, 2026 at 4:20 pm
let me guess, Grizz is going to turn into Baker and want revenge because BUCS did him so wrong lol….
well, i will say, the 1st first i saw white and bucky both in the backfield vs philly, i thought Grizz was about to get innovative and unleash a potent rushing attack because that play gained 11yards if im not mistaken….then it got shelved due to bucky being hurt
Grizz threw the 2RB set out again vs the PATS with White and Tucker in the backfield and Tucker gained 10yards…never saw the 2RB set again
Grizz was in over his head but keep it real, he was scapegoated…
GO BUCS!!!!
You really did cave to the pressure of the trolls. Scapegoatedfor what?? His offense sucked and was way to predictable
February 24th, 2026 at 4:42 pm
Are you kidding me? Bowzo is slippery and blames others for his failures. What a snake.
February 24th, 2026 at 4:46 pm
HC Grover Says:
February 24th, 2026 at 4:42 pm
Are you kidding me? Bowzo is slippery and blames others for his failures. What a snake.
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Bowles actually provided a reason for what he did – actually answered the question instead of blowing it off.
Comments like this is why coaches and players never say anything interesting and just give generic responses to everything.
February 24th, 2026 at 4:46 pm
Let me give you the short version of the story:
The Bucs offense lit up the Bucs Defense in practice.
Bucs offense against a real defense on game day Sh!t the bed!
End of Story!!!
February 24th, 2026 at 4:50 pm
Todd is either blaming someone else or throwing up old excuses.
February 24th, 2026 at 5:01 pm
I remember when El Serpiente left and Grizzard was the choice for OC the majority of the media and Bucs fan (and most comments on this page) were talking about a seamless transition and the Offense wont miss a bit.
Like to be an OC is like playing Madden and just call plays.
I know this Offense had injuries especially in OL and WR but it didnt have any rhythm ever, was too predictable and with no imagination or anticipation.
Seems there is more to be an OC than just have the same scheme and calling plays, who would have thought that? Not many as we saw this time last year.
The problem is we will probably see the same Defense which was as worse as the Offense.
Go Bucs
February 24th, 2026 at 5:04 pm
So the positive is we got an upgrade at offensive coordinator. So now we need an upgrade on defense. It will have to be player upgrades since we kept our confusion causing, lack of communication, over complicated DC. All we have is hope.
February 24th, 2026 at 5:16 pm
Let’s not forget that Coen wanted to take Grizzard with him to Jacksonville and the Bucs brass denied him the move. Then TB starts controlling game plans so if it was me I would have been a little unhappy too
February 24th, 2026 at 5:26 pm
True leaders don’t blame others for their failures.
As a HC you take on the responsibility of the entire team dynamic.
Everyone was fired except for Bowles. Including the DC.
But we are now supposed to jump on board and hand over our money and time?
This guy is an absolute fraud that continues to fail upwards.
Great work if you can get it!
February 24th, 2026 at 5:36 pm
Josh Grizzard should have gotten a second year. We started last season looking incredible, this was all new to him it takes time. Wish him nothing but the best!