Leonard Fournette Thinks It’s Time To Move On From Todd Bowles
September 22nd, 2026
Leonard Fournette waved a white flag at his former head coach, the leader of Fournette’s beloved Buccaneers.
The man known as Playoff Lenny played with the Bucs for three seasons (2020 through 2022), the last of which was led by Bowles. Fournette also was at One Buc Palace this summer interviewing Baker Mayfield, Tristan Wirfs and Chris Godwin. So Fournette is not a disconnected talking head.
Yesterday on his Fourth And South podcast, Fournette said he doesn’t know if Todd Bowles is still fit for his job as head coach.
“We all know the standard. To me, I just feel like maybe the time is up,” Fournette said of Bowles. “Just being real. It’s time for Coach Bowles to wrap it up and move on. Now if they go, 0-3, bring the alarm because we all know, even despite when [Tom] Brady left and Baker [Mayfield] came in, you still had a hell of a good season. Man, I don’t know what to say at this point.”
Yes, it’s that bad. The Bucs losing in Week 1 followed by the Bucs getting worse in Week 2 and losing to a garbage Browns team has a lot of fans ready for a new head coach.
September 22nd, 2026 at 9:42 am
Truth Teller Kenny
September 22nd, 2026 at 9:43 am
Do we think the Glazers know that they made a mistake not firing Bowles 2 years ago?
Or do we think they are still stubborn in their belief of this ZERO we have at HC.
Retodded
September 22nd, 2026 at 9:49 am
December has been a lonnnnggggg month. What’s today’s date?
December 328, 2025.
Somebody stop the pain!
September 22nd, 2026 at 9:52 am
I’d be hard for me to believe that after Jax went 13-4 in his first season that the glazers didn’t get it.
But do they have the ability to recognize a good hire going forward?
September 22nd, 2026 at 9:53 am
“If” we go 0-3?!
This Vikings team is about to beat the red and pewter straight out of our uniforms.
Gonna be feeling like 1976
September 22nd, 2026 at 9:55 am
Thank-you Captain OBVIOUS!!!!
LOL!
September 22nd, 2026 at 9:56 am
Fans always get blamed when calling for Bowles head but games like this well two keep getting ignored while people keep trying to pretend he’s a good head coach. Some people just aren’t meant to be head coaches and are better as coordinators and that’s ok, Todd Bowles has constantly proven he’s not head coach material
September 22nd, 2026 at 9:56 am
Our beloved “ROH” GM needs to be sh!t canned as well.
Clean da house and all the roaches too!
September 22nd, 2026 at 9:58 am
We were all ready for a new coach AFTER 2ND HALF OF LAST SEASON’S FAILURES!!!!
Glazers are making moronic mistakes left & right now.
It’s like they’re totally disconnected with common sense.
September 22nd, 2026 at 9:59 am
Todd Bowles
Jason Licht
Bruce Arians
Baker Mayfield
The Glazers should boot the 4 of them straight out the door
All 4vof them should be on the ….1st thing smoking out of Tampa
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:01 am
As someone who tried to keep the faith in the Glazers’ stay the course posture, I think it is time to move on too. As the Report guys said during their podcast yesterday, we need a fighter as HC and Bowles just ain’t it.
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:05 am
I can understand not firing a guy who just won 10 games, LESS so a guy who won only 8 the following season
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:07 am
The kind part of my soul sees a world where Todd is to be thanked for managing a great playoff defense in 2020 and holding down the fort for a year when Brady forced out BA (Let’s be honest with ourselves) so late in the offseason. Then we look for the new HC.
Todd would have been remembered fondly and been appreciated. He seems like a nice guy and would deserve that.
Now if we go to 0-3 I feel like I am going to turn into Mean DFB and want to fire him into the sun.
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:07 am
Wow, what a backstabber. Last nite Winston was,awful and not anybody’s answer… The Rams were awful in week one. But great in two. As,my second favorite team having lived in LA,13 years when they had no nfl I am happy. it also gives hope. Baker has been better each game and would have won the game except for the rain. Hurst holds on to that ball if dry. By week 8:I think Hurst is your new Evans. Stafford has the benefit of a great coach who also loves Baker. If the Daniels doods get their wish then McVeigh will take Baker. .
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:09 am
I always try and see the positive especially on this site ….. but that performance can’t happen. If game three isn’t markedly different than the first two games, the Glazers need to do something that they’ve never done before. If not, prepare to see the next game resemble games at the old sombrero with nothing but cheeseheads in the stands.
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:09 am
I, like many here, like Todd Bowles the person. But, Todd Bowles the coach simply can’t and, isn’t getting it done. The results are the results. Just look around at the quick turn around results coaches like Liam Coen, Ben Johnson, Mike McDonald, Kevin O’Connell, and Klint Kubiak are getting done. These respective rosters seem to be buying in and playing with purpose, intensity, and vision. We haven’t seen anything of the sort since Arians bailed and subsequently Brady. It’s time.
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:15 am
I think Todd will be let go after we lose to the Viking 31 to 13.
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:16 am
The time was a long time ago….they should have canned him for Coen.
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:19 am
it was time to move on from Bowles about three years ago. “No confidence Todd”. To be honest, Licht did not help him by loading the roster with over hyped players that shouldn’t be starters. Jason is always looking for a bargain in the draft. Now we have a bargain bin roster with rookies that should not be starters.
Honestly, I would give Gruden a one year try out. I bet he would motivate the players and his play calling skills are miles better than Zac. “Are you freakin kidding me” .
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:24 am
I bet that the Glazers are being serious Buyer’s Remorse in regard to Baker and Bowles right now.
Licht is obviously feeling that same feeling with Anzalone.
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:25 am
*feeling not being
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:28 am
@Erik
Lots of buyers remorse for the Glazers. I hope they don’t double down on their sunken costs or else we have three more years of this.
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:29 am
I wish Bowles would resign today
So a interim HC would come in and (Take out the garbage)
Because this garbage stinks
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:32 am
Great guy. Only wins 44% of the games he coaches.
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:34 am
Jason Licht should be unemployed as well. He has no business being an NFL GM
Brady saved his career, Arians too. Clean House.
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:35 am
Baker butt sniffers are blind as bats, dude showed up in his wife’s shoes to the game and played like it.
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:35 am
I 1000% DISAGREE
What is the point of turning this around this season?
LOSE. Go 2-15. Load up on high draft picks. Draft Jeremiah Smith and a few other studs. You don’t even have to tell the team to lose. Bowles is made for naturally tanking a season. Fire Bowles after the season ends.
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:42 am
I can see into the future
The Bucs will stink the field for remaining games
They will get a very high draft pick
They will clean house, bring in a new HC
Then the new HC will hire a new coaching staff
I don’t know about Jason Licht getting sacked
He’s been a great flunky , errand boy for the Glazers
The new coach will draft his ( Franchise ) QB
They will keep Baker around for 2 more seasons
I don’t think they will rush the young QB into action
Let Baker take the beating, until they get a better roster around the QB
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:45 am
Let’s dive a bit deeper….this team is progressively getting worse while being healthier, adding top tier draft talent and new coaches. The team is broken and for some reason we keep holding out hope Bowles can fix the situation despite losing 9 of the last 11. The situation is super obvious…..the team lacks accountability. There’s no discipline or execution on a weekly basis yet nobody gets benched…nobody gets cut. Bowles never owns any of it….its always on the players to communicate better, execute better, motivate better. It’s easy to see the failure exist at the top. When your HC blames everyone and never considers the possibility that maybe he’s not communicating his scheme well OR maybe the scheme simply doesn’t work, the players operate the same way.
Personally I believe the scheme is completely dependent on the offense putting up 25+ points per game. Bowles can’t win a dog fight, we’ve seen it countless times where teams walk us down the field over and over in the 4th qtr for victories. We can’t make rookie or back up QBs struggle, they instead have career days.
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:50 am
fournette being real , breath of fresh air
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:51 am
If Bucs go 0-3 they should just wear the creamsicles the rest of the year…
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:52 am
Perhaps 0-5 will snap the Glazer kids out of their fog.
This season is already toast anyway. But you can’t have Bowles around to infect anyone else with his moronic thought process.
It’s past time to cut bait. The experiment has been an abysmal failure.
Turns out that gifting the HC job isn’t the best move for success.
Who knew???
September 22nd, 2026 at 10:55 am
I get in agree with both being and should have been on hot seat along with already Zach Robinson. I’m not hearing a true good argument of why Jason let you go. Has he struck out on a couple of guys yeah has he nailed some f****** quality players for sure majority of these team is drafted by lick his first being Mike Evans the overlooked receiver of that draft. And essentially draft picks are all lottery tickets not every player no matter how great in college transitions over to the NFL so there will be busts. And I don’t want to hear you should be fired over proven pain because everybody was excited and waiting for bane to play and he’s a rookie he’s got to have time to adjust still. Yes there’s some legitimacy to go after the coach and staff don’t blame your whole life problems on this team settle the hell down and act like a true fan with support for the flag and respect the cannons. But I will say please for the love of the football God’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers that’s right this ship. Tighten up work practice a little bit more a little extra hard bring every grit you got are you going to be the laughing Trauma Bay Yuks again
September 22nd, 2026 at 11:05 am
An Erection For Sacks Thinks It’s Time To Move On From Todd Bowles.
September 22nd, 2026 at 11:18 am
Marine Buc,
After these two losses your 7-10 prediction is looking like a best case scenario.
September 22nd, 2026 at 11:28 am
Embrace the suck. He is here for the year. The odor of Bowles #5 is wafting through Ray Jay. Dale Mabry smells like the Bayshore at low tide.
September 22nd, 2026 at 11:34 am
TBBucFan, the Bucs’ offense actually played well against Cincy. They were just sloppy. It’s hard, if not impossible, to win a game when you turn the ball over 4 times. Last Sunday, they just flat out played poorly. Terrible play calling, the o-line didn’t keep defenders off Mayfield’s back, and there was virtually no pass rush, so Watson had all kinds of time to find his open receivers. And, when he hit his receivers, we couldn’t get them to the ground. The only aspect of the team that was good both weeks was our Special Teams. That’s what good coaching will do for you.
September 22nd, 2026 at 11:34 am
Should’ve happened after the loss to Washington in 2024. Mayfield had his best statistical season ever and Bowles defense couldn’t hold on to leads and we would’ve probably made the Championship game with a better HC or DC. Don’t understand how a coach stuck in the past with his worthless scheme, so has shown unwillingness to fit it to the players at hand and none of the players he and his coaching staff have gotten any better from their rookie years, and simply sucks at drafting good players for his defense and has a history of not being able to make in game adjustments rather taking games and seasons to finally see he needs to fix things still has the job on our team. Along with Lichtenstein should be in the NFL unemployment line.
September 22nd, 2026 at 11:41 am
There are a few things to keep in mind:
Depending on our performance the next two games, that Thursday night game in Dallas is huge for Todd. An embarrassment on national TV would be the final straw. Not saying they pull the trigger then but nothing short of a miraculous recovery would save his job.
If it does all go South at that time, I am 50/50 on getting rid of him then and putting on an interim. It would be best for this season, but my fear is some sort of lame ass recovery and we end up with an Antonio Pierce situation as opposed to getting a proper coach in here.
September 22nd, 2026 at 11:41 am
Playoff Lenny knows! I love Joe’s coverage on Bowles sucking. Cleveland broke Joe! The fan base turned three years ago!
September 22nd, 2026 at 11:43 am
After Coen has proven his worth, I now believe the Glazers have a very LOW football I.Q.
Retaining IBS as their HC after last seasons collapse only confirmed it!
September 22nd, 2026 at 11:55 am
Playoff Lenny thinks it’s time to move on from Todd Bowles! Hello… HE’S NOT THE ONLY ONE!!!!
September 22nd, 2026 at 11:56 am
Don’t forget that Bruce Arians challenged Fournette during the 2020 season…either get on the bus or get cut. It lit a fire under Playoff Lenny and he was a major contributor down the stretch.
Bowles won’t challenge anybody…instead cheered on the undeserved contract extensions for VV & Baker.
That’s the definition of a leader vs a pleasantly plump head coach just going through the motions.
September 22nd, 2026 at 11:56 am
Give me Rams OC, Nathan Scheelhaase as the next head coach.
September 22nd, 2026 at 12:02 pm
Fournette Looks like he has a beard of bees in that pic
September 22nd, 2026 at 12:03 pm
Hes got 15 more games to straightened things out!! Let it be!
September 22nd, 2026 at 12:07 pm
Steve V is going down on the Bowles ship.
September 22nd, 2026 at 12:12 pm
Bowles’ loss to Cleveland was unacceptable and should have gotten him fired.
I’m referring to the 2022 Cleveland loss when he took the ball out of Brady’s hands late in the game because he was afraid the greatest QB of all time would throw an interception.
September 22nd, 2026 at 12:25 pm
When he Bucs won their first game (New Orleans?). That head coach was fired. That should have been TB’s fate as well. No? Oh well.
September 22nd, 2026 at 12:29 pm
Walk the plank, Steve V. It will just delay the inevitable. If we had a good coach in this pathetic division the past five years, all the things we could’ve done. The poor coaching and teams in this division have Matt how bad Bowles is.
September 22nd, 2026 at 12:41 pm
Fitting that this is all Joe came up with out of the 8 minutes Jarvis and Lenny talked about their former teams.
Other takeaways:
-First thing he said was “Big mistake letting Mike Evans go”
-Lenny said Baker is also on the hot seat and Mayfield was “looking average back there”. Jarvis countered with “he just got paid he isn’t going anywhere”
-Also pointed out Baker sat down with both hosts and talked about having week 2 circled, but never beating them since leaving them or getting “thrown out like a piece of trash”
-Talked about the D not playing up to the standard, and everybody knows the standard.
Then transitioned into Bowles’ job security. Also said he didn’t know what to say then went into saying “Bake you got paid, and you need to play like it”
Essentially questioned the future of the HC & the QB. Neither talked about other aspects of the team.
September 22nd, 2026 at 12:51 pm
Tough to throw out the GM like some of you want with us knowing that ownership put their entire hand on the scale to get the Baker contract done. It sounds like Licht wanted to do the smart thing and wait but ownership ruined that.
Now as fans we don’t know if ME leaving was on Licht or the Owners. We don’t know if keeping Bowles is Licht or the Owners.
September 22nd, 2026 at 12:54 pm
@SteveV the odds of anything being corrected are not great.
September 22nd, 2026 at 1:04 pm
big part of bucs issue is having a d coordinator as head coach . the offensive coordinator position has been a turnstile with baker getting coen and canales paid. it worked with patriots and seahawks but their defenses are actually good and they had offensive coordinators that are or was a head coach. the coaching staff dynamic has been a complete mess
September 22nd, 2026 at 1:05 pm
its part of the reason glazers paid baker , not many qbs actually want to be a franchise qb in tampa
September 22nd, 2026 at 1:06 pm
Fournette is right. Bowles is not head coach material and he is not taking the Bucs anywhere to the promised land. Baker is not the franchised qb and the Bucs is overpay him. They should hired Klint Kubiak, but it is too late now. He is the head coach of the raiders. Bucs will get higher draft pick next season.
September 22nd, 2026 at 1:18 pm
I gotcha on the classic sarcasm ! Lol!! Bowles should man up and step down no argument here..
September 22nd, 2026 at 1:19 pm
A lot of fans were ready for a new head coach two years ago. It should have happened the offseason we lost Liam Coen. Bowles should have been fired and Coen elevated.
Every garbage coaching decision we’ve seen since then has been evidence that not making what was clearly an inevitable decision (to everyone not named Glazer) two years ago is coming back to bite us now.
Bad franchises make consistently bad decisions. Right now, Tampa Bay is a bad franchise and keeping Incredibly Average Todd Bowles two years after it was obvious he wasn’t the answer is (now obviously) a bad decision.
September 22nd, 2026 at 1:22 pm
“the offensive coordinator position has been a turnstile with baker getting coen and canales paid. it worked with patriots and seahawks but their defenses are actually good and they had offensive coordinators that are or was a head coach.”
Seahawks HC is also their DC, they also don’t have turnover machines dragging the entire team down and giving up scoring opportunities for nothing in return other than more time for the defense to be on the field.
“its part of the reason glazers paid baker , not many qbs actually want to be a franchise qb in tampa”
ROI is more turnovers than TDs, it’s working out swimmingly thus far, no?
September 22nd, 2026 at 1:32 pm
Let’s get McDermott, maybe he can pull a Andy Reid and have all the success on his second try after being a perennial playoff guy his first go around.
September 22nd, 2026 at 1:41 pm
“losing to a garbage Browns team has a lot of fans ready for a new head coach”
Hogwash.
Many of us have been saying it since last season..
Like it’s some new revelation or something…again hogwash.
September 22nd, 2026 at 1:43 pm
I’d be happy with a McDermott hire. There’s been a number of successful head coaches that needed to go to a 2nd winner before getting over the hump. Andy Reid as mentioned. Tony Dungee as well. And McDermott is a 4-3 guy, and I think that shake up will fit our roster better.
September 22nd, 2026 at 1:45 pm
Sign me up for McDermott.
September 22nd, 2026 at 1:54 pm
Sean McDermott won’t take this job with Baker at QB
He was just fired because of another overhyped QB
They will fire Todd Bowles
Hire a new HC and he will draft a QB
September 22nd, 2026 at 1:55 pm
AGREE !!!
September 22nd, 2026 at 2:08 pm
Get rid of Bowles and this all goes away. The players do not like, nor do they trust him as the HC for this team. He has thrown everyone under the bus at this point and its showing on the field now. Don’t think for one second the players really believe in him. The NFL is a small community and there is zero confidence in Bowles as a HC in said community. He is a follower and not a true leader of men that inspires players to be their best. Bowles inspires mediocrity!
September 22nd, 2026 at 2:13 pm
Can anyone name a current Buc player who is ranked in the top twenty in their positions after two games? I can’t. No one on the offensive or defensive lines, no wide receiver or defensive back. Possibly K Johnson the punt returner makes the top ten. Possibly Trotter makes the top ten. So as big a problem as is Todd Bowles, Jason Licht has not made anyone’s job easier. I see little heart, desire, passion in Buc players. Maybe in a couple of the rookies, who haven’t learned to tone down emotion yet by Todd. I believe the Bucs will lose big this year. Todd will be fired, maybe at the bye week. It will be that bad. Then Jason should be fired too. He’s as big a hindrance to respectability as is Todd and his staff.
September 22nd, 2026 at 2:16 pm
Dude this website constantly crashes on my phone. Time to update this sh!te. All keeping Bowles did was waste a year for all these guys. It’s a shame we have weak ownership. They get too emotionally invested in players and coaches.
September 22nd, 2026 at 2:16 pm
@ Para Trooper
First they called me a troll…
Now they are calling me “optimistic”.
Some of these folks just can’t make up their minds.
September 22nd, 2026 at 2:18 pm
I thought 7-10 was a pretty fair assessment and I still do BTW.
Although I would rather just lose enough to hit the reset button on this entire franchise…
September 22nd, 2026 at 2:24 pm
Its hard to say..Dart went down last night and the g-men with the all-world Harbaugh crashed back to earth..Even with Mr.Woke O’Neil’s.. Winston at qb!
September 22nd, 2026 at 2:30 pm
Can’t lose to what you say is a garbage team without being garbage as well even less than that I guess.
September 22nd, 2026 at 2:35 pm
McDermott couldn’t win with Josh Allen and Brady as his OC. Why would he be able to win in Tampa??
Plus he’s a defensive guy and his defenses were what was holding them back. Sound familiar??
Hell no! Horrendous idea