Shelton Quarles Has A Todd Bowles Message For Fans
March 17th, 2026
Todd Bowles gets a powerful endorsement.
Newer Tampa Bay fans probably don’t realize that Shelton Quarles was a Buccaneers starter (1999-2006) at linebacker for the one of the greatest defenses the NFL has ever seen.
He’s worked in the Bucs’ front office ever since his six-month retirement from playing.
Soft-spoken Quarles is not one do interviews since his playing days. The team’s senior director of football operations, however, sat down with The Sports Web over the weekend and fielded a question about Todd Bowles.
Quarles, with affirming nods of his head, acknowledged that Bowles is unpopular with fans when host Peter Blake brought up the subject. Quarles soaked in the question about Bowles and responded with a powerful endorsement of the Bucs’ fifth-year head coach.
“He is the most prepared person that I’ve been around,” Quarles said of Bowles. “… He is the most intelligent person from the defensive perspective.”
Bowles is a master of knowing defensive players capabilities and not calling defenses that stretch beyond their abilities, Quarles said, especially backups filling in for starters.
“Like he’s unbelievable,” Quarles continued. “I enjoy the conversations that we have at 4:30, 5 in the morning before everybody else gets in. So, just stick with him, believe in him, trust in what he’s doing, trust in what he’s building. He’s unbelievable in regards to football knowledge.”
After the past couple of seasons, Bowles’ defense has a lot to prove. And fans are going to want to see results in a hurry, considering the injection of new defensive talent in free agency and what seems likely to be another couple of premium defensive picks in the draft, in addition to Calijah Kancey returning healthy.
The Bucs must at least produce a defense on Day 1 of the 2026 season that is capable of beating the likes of Kirk Cousins, Tyler Shough and Quinn Ewers.
March 17th, 2026 at 3:22 pm
Prepare yet always outcoached….nope!
March 17th, 2026 at 3:23 pm
Bowles signs his pay check?
March 17th, 2026 at 3:27 pm
5 years of below average defense says otherwise. I’m pretty sure actions speak better than words in this area.
March 17th, 2026 at 3:29 pm
And yet here we are. Bs
March 17th, 2026 at 3:34 pm
I always here how Bowles is some type of defensive mastermind. A genius, yet somehow it never translates onto the field! All that matters is how the players play and that speaks volumes under Bowles. The defense plays lifeless, slow, “bored’ and chokes on itself. I don’t want to hear anymore CYA from this organization about Bowles. Someone please be candid and just say he sucks!
March 17th, 2026 at 3:34 pm
What a crock of crap. He gets outcoached everytime we play someone with a good playcaller. He lets rookie QBs look like HOF’ers. Plays his DBs 10yds off the LOS. Middle of the field is ALWAYS open. Has to hire a game clock manager? Maybe his son knows how to actually plan a pass rush. He is the reason a 12yr PILLAR of the team left for less $$. Bowles sucks and everyone knows it. 5-11 next year ….mark it down.
March 17th, 2026 at 3:38 pm
underwhelmed
March 17th, 2026 at 3:38 pm
oboyoboy……
if the last couple of years (most especially last year) is being prepared, then why are we are bouncing off the bottom of the league with our secondary and linebacker play, letting rookie QB’s tear us up and losing 7 of 9 games to end the season because its always 1 guy out of position on the big plays??????? If that’s really what One Bus thinks, then god help us if we ever get a Coach who isn’t a master of knowing his players abilities.
Talk about living in a bubble – maybe Shelton needs to break free.
And yea Grover – Bowles has to be signing his checks.
March 17th, 2026 at 3:39 pm
Really? Career sub .500 win head coach does not compute with “most prepared person” . How many career sub .500 win head coaches have there ever been to be labeled , “ most prepared person”?
March 17th, 2026 at 3:39 pm
Drivel.
March 17th, 2026 at 3:39 pm
Mesidor Rd 1
March 17th, 2026 at 3:41 pm
Respectfully, Joe. Im not buying that comrade nonsense. It waddles and quacks, its a duck. Point blank period. His playcalling has cost us big time and his reaction to constantly giving up the good on 3rd down is infuriating. Not sticking with him. Go Bucs!
March 17th, 2026 at 3:43 pm
Didn’t Bowles say himself, hilariously, that he didn’t spend enough time on the defense because he was meddling in the offense (that got worse)? We got a real clown show going on with Bowles and his excuses, and Shelton just made a clown out of himself, too! 🤡 🤡
March 17th, 2026 at 3:44 pm
Yet Barber said few times how shacks looked lost and out of place at times. SMH
March 17th, 2026 at 3:45 pm
Sad state of affairs!
March 17th, 2026 at 3:46 pm
Dana is
March 17th, 2026 at 3:47 pm
Defensive backs ^
March 17th, 2026 at 3:49 pm
What do we expect Quarles to say? He’s not gonna talk about Bowles.
March 17th, 2026 at 3:53 pm
Dear old Shelton, a former player now front office member, just served up a big bowl of “chocolate” flavored hopeium pudding that I mentioned would be soon forthcoming in my comments not long ago.
March 17th, 2026 at 3:54 pm
Hahahahahahaha hahaha,
The man who had two great man to man corners in Dean and David but insisted they play zone. The man who had lumbering players cover RBs and WRs 20+ yards deep. The man who consistently tries to fit a round peg into a square hole and is puzzled when it doesn’t work. That man is the most prepared person you have ever met and is “not calling defenses that stretch beyond their abilities”. You need to get out more because it appears the last the only person you know is Todd Bowles
March 17th, 2026 at 3:55 pm
Fire everyone from the top down cut all the cancer out and remember it’s us fans that pay all your pay checks and we all want a better product! Or sell the team maybe the new owners will bring in the right people that actually want to win for themselves and all of us fans!
March 17th, 2026 at 4:00 pm
Last 6 games of the season…
Bucs 10th in points against.
Bucs 28th in points scored.
If the Bucs had even a middling back-up level QB starting, they’d have won at least 5 games that stretch instead of 2, and they’d have easily made the playoffs.
One person cost the Bucs the playoffs, cost us Mike Evans – and that one person is Baker Mayfield. If he didn’t absolutely collapse down the stretch, when it mattered most, the Bucs get into the playoffs, in a year with zero dominate teams, and then who knows what happens. But Bum Baker didn’t allow that to happen.
March 17th, 2026 at 4:04 pm
Company man sticking to the company line.
March 17th, 2026 at 4:04 pm
todd bowles is not a winning head coach, over how many years, how many teams, how many players.
if he hasnt been able to produce being handed HANDED a super bowl winning squad with brady at QB, at what point do people stop making excuses for him
?
nothing against shelton quarles…but what else is he going to say while he takes another check from the glazers.
the only person with b@lls associated with (taking a check of some sort from one buc place) to say the truth about bowles is ronde barber. the only one.
whats next, tj reeves joins the podcast to verbally hump bowles leg for 30 minutes?
March 17th, 2026 at 4:04 pm
That’s like asking Ira what he thinks about the Joes…
March 17th, 2026 at 4:04 pm
That’s like saying, I eat healthy, exercise daily, get plenty of sleep but I’m still obese. Something isn’t adding up.
March 17th, 2026 at 4:04 pm
How long should we wait for DC Bowles to produce? Maybe HC Bowles needs to fire DC Bowles or Glazers demote HC Bowles to DC Bowles. Because in my mind this dud has had 2 seasons of a cluster f### of not being able to stop a team and making them punt on a consistent basis.
March 17th, 2026 at 4:11 pm
That’s exactly what a former crew-mate, since moved to the front office of the White Star Line, said about Edward Smith, the captain of the Titanic.
Former Seaman Rudyard Kipling talks of Capt. Edward Smith to The Southampton Times, April 15, 1912
* Extremely intelligent
* Never met a captain better prepared
* Always up early and ready to work
* Unbelievable knowledge about boats
* Only weakness was dropping crows nest players into coverage when they should have been sacking icebergs
March 17th, 2026 at 4:17 pm
JA – HA! Actually a funny comment, put in effort and everything. Well done, good stuff.
March 17th, 2026 at 4:22 pm
Munch——
Gotta find a way to have some fun with this team from time to time.
For I too fear we fans are aboard a sinking ship.
Hope I’m wrong.
Thanks …
March 17th, 2026 at 4:22 pm
Todd Bowles played with some great defensive players in Washington
Shelton Quarles played with some great defensive players in Tampa
With said, they can talk about defensive schemes, matchups, etc
But everything is a moot point with the defensive roster this team has
I just don’t see any talent on this defense
But, Robinson, Anzalone, Muhammad was a good start to improving
March 17th, 2026 at 4:22 pm
That’s funny Joe. I have a message for Shelton – stop drinking the Kool aid my friend!
#TeamDelusional
March 17th, 2026 at 4:32 pm
But the defense stinks! Show me!
March 17th, 2026 at 4:33 pm
I’ve said it before, I’ll say it now:
The reason the Bucs defense has not been great is personnel. On the surface, you might blame Licht for that…but I believe the Glazers, Licht and Bowles all agreed to focus on the offense first…then start building the defense.
We are about to start the second year of rebuilding the defense…and really, it was short-changed last year in the first round.
But Bowles is now focusing on it, and we’ll see if he really is great at it.
March 17th, 2026 at 4:34 pm
jimmy Says:
March 17th, 2026 at 4:04 pm
the only person with b@lls associated with (taking a check of some sort from one buc place) to say the truth about bowles is ronde barber. the only one.
^^^^^^
That’s a tactic (in my opinion) to try to maintain credibility. If everyone said nothing but positive things the hopeium pudding would not work. Ronde gets his check from them just like Shelton.
March 17th, 2026 at 4:47 pm
Sycophants who give opinions should never be asked again.
March 17th, 2026 at 4:49 pm
Trust what?? He took a great team and made them 500 for the past 4 years. History does not lie. He sucks!
March 17th, 2026 at 4:52 pm
JA – I just appreciate someone putting effort into their posts. 99% of people that comment provide about the same level of insight as what you get from a bumper sticker. So any time someone actually says something that is funny or interesting, it should be praised – even if I don’t agree with it.
March 17th, 2026 at 4:57 pm
What a joke. 5-12 incoming
March 17th, 2026 at 5:03 pm
Love left handed compliments.
Probably because I’m left handed …
March 17th, 2026 at 5:05 pm
Damn, the Broncos just got Waddle. Quarles is on another planet. Outta his mind. Totally, BIASED. And, gaslighting us all. He’s spitting in our faces and telling us it’s raining. He’s not going to speak negative about his boss, but going on and on about it the way that he did, is just ridiculous. He obviously truly BELIEVES what he’s spewing, which doesn’t say a whole lot about himself. He should definitely refrain from doing any future interviews regarding the topic.
March 17th, 2026 at 5:06 pm
Maybe but talk is talk. Translating that into action amd success is statistically horrible. Numbers dont lie, losses are losses. Believing that Dennis will suddenly get it amd putting in a rookie corner to get reps was idiotic.
March 17th, 2026 at 5:10 pm
Kiper is CRAZY having the Giants taking Caleb Downs, after THOSE rumors. I’d like to see the Giants take Love if the Titans don’t. They’d have the perfect “Thunder & Lightning” combo with HIM and Scattabooboo in the backfield together (in NYC)!!!! Now, I’d watch THAT. There’d definitely be a HUGE BUZZ. 💯
March 17th, 2026 at 5:12 pm
That’s some CTE talking right there….
March 17th, 2026 at 5:24 pm
He is just spewing what the Glazers would want him to say.
March 17th, 2026 at 5:28 pm
Question to the Joe’s: since Quarles played for pre-bad Lovie Smith, Monte Kiffin, and Father Dungy, are you buying this pablum?!
March 17th, 2026 at 5:31 pm
“There’d definitely be a HUGE BUZZ. “
There was huge for Tommy DeVito, just because he was Italian American and on tv in NY lol
That franchise ain’t been right since they fired Coughlin, and kept Jerry Reese lol
March 17th, 2026 at 5:35 pm
Quarles must have just visited a dispensary before the interview.
Bowles is prepared???
Yeah for losing.
March 17th, 2026 at 5:46 pm
Rod Munch, AGAIN, is talking about the last 6 games of last year, like somehow that is a bigger deal than THE DEFENSE BEING TERRIBLE FOR THE LAST 2 YEARS. Hey Rod, when did Bowles stick his nose in the offense? Was it, oh, I don’t know, the last 6 games of last year? Running the ball vs. Carolina 30 times, and Bowles saying, well it worked last year! The Rod Muncher is either Bowles agent, or his girlfriend.
March 17th, 2026 at 5:53 pm
I don’t disagree that he has unbelievable football knowledge.
The most unbelievable part is that he has that knowledge, and has ZERO idea how to best utilize it.
March 17th, 2026 at 5:58 pm
FIRE TOILET BOWLES!!!
March 17th, 2026 at 6:29 pm
^^^^100%
March 17th, 2026 at 6:34 pm
Imagine that. A man, employed by the team, insists we should believe in the coach. Did anyone ask him why the “SuperGenius” had to fire all of his coaches?
Todd Bowles is a misunderstood artist.
March 17th, 2026 at 6:40 pm
Every Todd Bowles supporter the Joe(s) come up with have a strong push-back on current Bowles critiques.
Fundamentally, Todd’s strategies may be sound, but to end every loss with “we didn’t execute” repeatedly is more acceptance of failure.
Todd doesn’t make adjustments when things aren’t working out. That’s why his players ease off on the throttle.
If it’s not working, it’s not working, and the responsibility of the head coach is to do everything he can to win. Period.
Maybe having as many chances as Bowles has had he’ll somehow figure out how to coach-to-win rather than a coach who stubbornly refuses to accept that his game plan is not working, and then make adjustments to compensate.
At least that is what I’ve observed over the three seasons I’ve fanned the Bucs.
March 17th, 2026 at 6:46 pm
I got it. I feel so much better now. Because wins and losses don’t really matter. As long as we’re coddled and held and are nice to each other everything will be fine… Yeah in yoga class or at home. This is the football. Football is a viiiioolent sport. Brings me back to the la game where Mcvay was being kind to our team. That was so nice of him. Isn’t it nice to be a Bucs fan. Hugs to everyone…
March 17th, 2026 at 6:47 pm
Toeing that company line.
What a pointless post. Are we really expecting a current Bucs employee to say the head coach sucks?
March 17th, 2026 at 6:59 pm
“He is the most prepared person that I’ve been around,” Quarles said of Bowles. “… He is the most intelligent person from the defensive perspective”
Then why doesn’t it translate onto the playing field???
SMH
The only time Todd Bowles excelled was in the Super Bowl with Tom Brady, that defense was dominant in the win against the Chefs…. I was impressed, but that was a long time ago, Bowles just doesn’t have it!!!
March 17th, 2026 at 7:00 pm
Not just fans, but also players… including a Hall of Fame one who just got away.
March 17th, 2026 at 7:09 pm
This is a perfect example of pissing down my back and telling me it’s raining.
Stop it Shelton. Yes I will believe my eyes over your words every single time.
March 17th, 2026 at 7:16 pm
If Jason would just get Bowles a pass rusher to go with Yaya Vita an Kancey if Braswell can finally come on this year that would be great AQM is a good signing for a number 3
March 17th, 2026 at 7:18 pm
Losses are about moments… 3 and 28. Shough outrunning 3 buc defenders en route to a winning td. Preparation has to transfer to the players ..
March 17th, 2026 at 7:24 pm
The Past few Buc season and a few Jets season says Quarles must ne ignorant when it comes to evaluating coaches…. IBS career stats seems to suggest that Quarles is playing politics or a liar!
March 17th, 2026 at 7:24 pm
Whatever you say, Shelton.
March 17th, 2026 at 7:27 pm
Hilarious.
Also hilarious is the Munchster! Bowles gets brought into every comment section cause he is the HC and DC. That person has a lot of say and a lot of responsibility so it’s easy to tie them to most articles.
Baker is 1 of 11 guys on offense and while also very important doesn’t need to be in every thread Rod!
Also, to Lakeland, you know the D still had 4 SB winning players last year right? At all 3 levels of the D. You know there were teams out there with much less talent that were ranked higher than Bowles unit right? Yes the front 7 was lacking but scheme something and our coach the other sideline just 1 time !
March 17th, 2026 at 7:42 pm
Yes it certainly tracks that a player from that era would like a coach like Todd.