Todd Bowles: “Change Is Necessary When You’re Not Doing Well”
August 2nd, 2026
Intriguing insight from Todd Bowles.
Joe knows Bowles is a realist who has been around the NFL 35-plus years as a player, coach and scout.
Last season featured a messy collapse. Heads had to roll, Bowles explained this week to Inside Football.
Former Cardinals general manager Steve Keim interviewed Bowles. The pair worked together in Arizona during the Bucco Bruce Arians years there.
Keim asked Bowles about offseason changes to his staff that included how he “had to replace friends.” Those included former cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross and safeties coach Nick Rapone. Those guys had been tied to Bowles for years and developed the young Bucs “gravediggers” unit that won the Super Bowl five years ago.
“That was tough. I mean, that was probably the toughest thing I’ve done since I’ve been here, epecially the ones that’s been with me for a long time as far as Coach Ross and Coach Rapone and those type of guys,” Bowles said.
“But change is necessary when you’re not doing well. And you got to make the right changes. And they understand that. And we’re still close to this day. It was tough when it happened but, you know, it’s great right now because we still have the relationships.”
Interesting to hear from Bowles, as the offical word was that Rapone retired.
The Bucs replaced Rapone and Ross with their assistant position coaches. Whether those changes light a spark for the suspect Bucs secondary might be a major key to the 2026 season.
Joe knows a lot of Bucs fans are going to remember Bowles’ “change is necessary when …” line.
August 2nd, 2026 at 11:57 am
Change is necessary when all else fails. The Bucs have been regressing backward for several years now, but if the head coach/ defensive coordinator is still on board. How does this happen?
August 2nd, 2026 at 12:00 pm
No more excuses for the defensive wizard. Put up or shut up time. Will he continue his career average of being a sub .500coach, or will he finally buc the trend. No pun intended.
August 2nd, 2026 at 12:05 pm
Sure wish he would use that philosophy with McColumn and Morrison. However much proof does he need?
August 2nd, 2026 at 12:12 pm
The Bucs replaced Rapone and Ross with their assistant position coaches.
So does that mean that Defensive Assistant Todd Bowles Jr. is the heir apparent to Todd Bowles Sr.’s role of Defensive Coordinator?
August 2nd, 2026 at 12:13 pm
He replaced them with their assistant.
August 2nd, 2026 at 12:16 pm
Mister .500 talking about change being necessary when things don’t go well. What will you change with your defense? Nothing. Enjoy your 7 win season which will leave you under .500 and presumably out of a job barring another ownership brain cramp after this season…
August 2nd, 2026 at 12:17 pm
So the right choice was to fire everybody except the one guy who put his staff together in the first place? Sure. Ok then.
August 2nd, 2026 at 12:22 pm
Didn’t he say he changed a lot up before the start of last season? Sure looked like a whole lot of the same to me. This dude seems to be all talk. Always starts out well, but falters year after year.
August 2nd, 2026 at 12:25 pm
reminds me of his “epiphany” line
August 2nd, 2026 at 12:30 pm
At the Headcoaching position
Since the end of the 2024 season!
August 2nd, 2026 at 12:41 pm
Change is needed. Wishing the Coach well n his next endeavor.
August 2nd, 2026 at 12:43 pm
One of Bowles’ biggest faults – he’s too soft on his coaches and players. The special teams coach last season, the offensive QC coach didn’t see the runs behind Otton’s motion, keeping JTS on the field too long.
August 2nd, 2026 at 12:46 pm
I think they are holding Baker hostage and strapping him to their future to ensure he’s motivated to save the team and save their jobs. Problem is that Baker can’t play QB and run the defense. He can only do so much to win games, the rest is on Bowles.
August 2nd, 2026 at 1:01 pm
Who exactly would we want as a HC that is good AND available, not a retread?
August 2nd, 2026 at 1:05 pm
Kept the wrong one when coen was here
August 2nd, 2026 at 1:19 pm
That’s why the GM and owners do their homework and search to see who they think might be a candidate. Fans think they have to know the ones being interviewed otherwise they are worthless as a preseason game. (Sarcasm)
But then again we have a ton of GMs making comments here.
We have gone through Dungy era. It showed the Eagles always eating our lunch. Now we have Bowles unable to turn a mediocre team into a contender.
One more season of RINSE AND REPEAT with Bowles.
August 2nd, 2026 at 1:19 pm
The decision to keep Bowles is not aging well and camp just got started ….. like it or not Bowles leadership style is hurting this team and its present status !
August 2nd, 2026 at 1:21 pm
The Bucs replaced Rapone and Ross with their assistant position coaches.
Replaced them with who? Oh boy….
August 2nd, 2026 at 1:22 pm
Well if they fired Todd all those people would have been gone anyhow
August 2nd, 2026 at 1:26 pm
Scotty in Fat Antonio Says:
August 2nd, 2026 at 1:01 pm
Who exactly would we want as a HC that is good AND available, not a retread?
…………………………
Just like all the Munch Bunch and Melvin Jrs say, just go get a coach to win the Super Bowl from the college ranks…..
I mean if we are gonna get a super bowl caliber QB so easily in the draft, surely a coach shouldn’t be too hard to find…..
August 2nd, 2026 at 1:27 pm
mirrors and stats are there for a reason look in the mirror the first guy that should have been replaced you its easy to step down and retire
August 2nd, 2026 at 1:35 pm
Baking with Robinson … ‘Now we have Bowles unable to turn a mediocre team into a contender’.
Maybe 1 reason the Bucs haven’t been a bonafide contender is because they’ve been a mediocre team? LVD, like Brady, stayed a year too long. SVD stayed a career too long. Hall was never a good fit for this defense. Kancey is a tub warrior. Dean had availability issues when you needed him most. Reddick was a YGBSM non-free agent.
You don’t win much with defenses constructed like that, and a big part of that ‘construction’ needs to be laid at Licht’s feet. Of course, Bowles didn’t help himself much by being dual-hatted as the HC-DC and having just a meh defensive staff to work the defense when he was busy with other things related to HCing.
We’ve made some improvements personnel-wise this off-season, but I have trouble getting excited about the defensive coaching changes. Offensive side of the ball coaching changes? Different story. I think Robinson will do much better with this offense than Griff did, and Chandler Whitmer seems like a young QB coach with the capability to go places fast.
August 2nd, 2026 at 1:39 pm
You know Bowles walked into that end of the season meeting sweating like walking into a klaan get together, walking out with his head in his shoulders and not bouncing around his feet like it should have been like a pinball machine breathing a sigh of relief. Right our wrong the axe falls on the neck of the HC, but because he’s also our Defensive Guru Coordinator, he deserved two chops to release us from his drudgery.
August 2nd, 2026 at 1:48 pm
Yes, it should’ve started with the lousy HC/DC. Bowles had a hand in the Bucs taking his buddy’s son in the 2nd, the injury prone CB who seems to have bad hamstrings…The Bucs CB’s are an injury or 2 from having to play 15 yards off the LOS again this year, ie a “prevent defense”. I hope you’re happy Glazers, you love a guy who has proven to be a LOUSY HC/DC.
August 2nd, 2026 at 1:54 pm
I have one tid-bit to add to this discussion.
The Bucs had 9 games last season that were settled by 3 points or less…
The Bucs record in those contests?
6-3.
As a true Buc fan – What does that truly tell you about the potential of this year’s team?
Could we be close to a monumental breakthrough?
Or could we be close to a monumental breakdown?
The future is cloudy to say the least my friends…
August 2nd, 2026 at 1:57 pm
Licht deserves blame too, the lack of depth at CB is on him too.
August 2nd, 2026 at 2:00 pm
@ DR
You are cooking amigo.
I kept looking for segments to copy and paste but I would be basically copying and pasting your entire comment…
I agree 100%.
August 2nd, 2026 at 2:01 pm
Todd finally has actual talent, not 2nd stringers and past their prime players on the starting D.
Lots of turnover with players and coaches. Be happy to get the season started to see how we look.
Expecting top 10 units across the board 👍🏼
August 2nd, 2026 at 2:27 pm
185 million salary on the offensive side of the ball. 2nd only to the Rams. Defense gets what’s left over. Licht should take more of the blame. Somehow he seems to skate out unscathed.
August 2nd, 2026 at 2:42 pm
He should tell Licht and the Glazers.
August 2nd, 2026 at 3:18 pm
Really throwing chum in the water there, Joe. Lol.
August 2nd, 2026 at 3:50 pm
Just throw a lot of money at Mike Tomlin and do a blockbuster trade for Jared Goff and put trophy number three in the case!
August 2nd, 2026 at 3:54 pm
“Change Is Necessary When You’re Not Doing Well”
Simple statement,…… Then why is Bowles still here.
August 2nd, 2026 at 4:56 pm
Yes, change is necessary. Unless it’s Todd Bowles. He’s a guru.
Best HC\DC in the history of the NFL. Without question.
31 other teams are just clamoring for a chance to hire him.
What a joke we’ve become.