Aqib Talib On Todd Bowles: “This Is Not A Bad Resume”
January 14th, 2026
Defends Todd Bowles.
Former Bucs cornerback Aqib Talib doesn’t want to hear any smack on Todd Bowles.
Speaking on “The Arena: Gridiron” podcast last week, Talib doesn’t see a reason for Team Glazer to buckle to Bucs fans hollering for Bowles’ head after missing the playoffs.
In fact, Talib said the fact 2025 was the only time the Bucs missed the playoffs under Bowles is a perfect reason why he should have been retained.
“Let’s put together a bad resume,” Talib said. “This is not a bad resume. He definetly deserves another shot.
“You don’t make the playoffs next year, then it’s something to talk about. Maybe [the message] is stale at that point. Right now, it’s not stale.”
Talib argued that winning division titles means something. There are no playoffs without winning a division (aside from a wild card spot). So Talib doesn’t believe Bowles’ sins rose to the level of losing his job.
Joe sees both sides. A division title should be a stepping stone, not a reason to hold a parade. But after a while, if a coach cannot get his team to take the next step, then you’ve hit the glass ceiling and it will be time to find someone who can slam through it.
January 14th, 2026 at 12:07 am
I agree with Aqib. It’s just tough when we lose the way we do. 1 more season to show a high caliber playoff team. I expect more urgency from Todd and Jason.
January 14th, 2026 at 12:12 am
Every single defensive player regressed this season under Bowles. Bowles is the leader of the defense. That’s all you need to know about why he needs to be fired.
January 14th, 2026 at 12:20 am
It’s also not a great one. 8-9, 9-8, 10-7, 8-9. The goal is win a Super Bowl, not have “not a bad resume.”
January 14th, 2026 at 12:20 am
Jason should strongly push Ronde into the coaches building. He has too much knowledge, experience, and respect to be wasting away behind a micro phone. If Bowles is smart, he should pursue this possibility.
January 14th, 2026 at 12:25 am
When Bowles himself loses his composure and says out loud some players don’t care enough and then players are criticizing practice then it’s definitely gone stale. It was also a very long big losing streak. Its not just the record. Defense was also awful and he’s a defensive guy
January 14th, 2026 at 12:25 am
Talib would definitely be off Jason’s draft board
And out of position or exposed 1-on-1 in Bowls defense
You member in the DET game when he thought it’d be good for Parrish the rookie to cover Amen Ra St Brown one-on-one in the middle of the field lol?
What a maroon
January 14th, 2026 at 12:30 am
@OR
And that is 1 year closer to players retiring/getting older. Guys like Evans, Godwin or even Vea aren’t getting any younger. 1 year can be huge when it comes to players and their careers.
January 14th, 2026 at 12:32 am
Maybe not a bad resume for a middle school or high school football team.
January 14th, 2026 at 12:46 am
Here come de hype.
January 14th, 2026 at 1:30 am
Didn’t this MF get drunk and shoot himself in the leg?
January 14th, 2026 at 1:43 am
If there’s been a worse division in NFL history than the NFC South for the last 4 years, I don’t remember it. Bowles is 35-35 in all of his games coaching the Bucs. Since he still has a job, that tells me that the Glazers are perfectly fine with having a mediocre football team.
January 14th, 2026 at 1:44 am
Bud Licht and his Drunk Uncle BA are the biggest problem. Without those two you don’t have Bowles staying here.
Anyone find it odd that Licht hasn’t issued one statement since this debacle of a season ended?
January 14th, 2026 at 3:47 am
He definitely deserves another year.
But he needs an experienced OC.
An expensive special teams coordinator.
And fiery defensive assistant coaches.
He needs to practice faster with no more “walk throughs”
January 14th, 2026 at 4:09 am
Teacherman Says:
January 14th, 2026 at 3:47 am
He definitely deserves another year.
But he needs an experienced OC.
An expensive special teams coordinator.
And fiery defensive assistant coaches.
He needs to practice faster with no more “walk throughs”
^^^^^^^^^^
What about a DC who knows what he’s doing? The defense has been terrible for the last 2 years, and wasn’t great the 2 years prior.
January 14th, 2026 at 4:14 am
I agree 100% with Talib…it wasn’t a bad resume, it’s a TERRIBLE resume. What the hell is he looking at?
January 14th, 2026 at 4:15 am
Message isn’t stale? Hahahaha, Talib obviously doesn’t watch the Bucs play, or is a dumbfounded dipsh!t.
January 14th, 2026 at 5:25 am
Tip your Cabbie… You talking to me?
January 14th, 2026 at 5:26 am
It’s crazy to think almost a third of the league is looking for a new coach. Think we’re up to ten depending on GreenBay. Maybe the Glazers were wise to sit this dance out? Competition for a coach this year got stiff. It’s the NFL musical chairs. Speaking of dances, this could be Bowles’s last one. Better make the most of it.
January 14th, 2026 at 5:28 am
On any other team he would have been fired by now.
January 14th, 2026 at 5:33 am
Not bad? Not good either. I think Canalas and Coen had ALOT to do with those divisional titles. Give me a break.
January 14th, 2026 at 5:44 am
Just another talking head who doesn’t even watch the games. The goal is greatness and superbowls, not 8-9 division “winner”. Where on Todds resume does Talib see anything but mediocrity ?
January 14th, 2026 at 5:52 am
@OR Buc
@Bucfan951
OR, 951, Exactly. Mike and LaVonte both have the will to play at a high level, but both may be gone next year. And while they’re both still playing at a high level, you can see Father Time making his way into the picture.
Vita and Chris are both approaching the 10-year mark. It doesn’t seem like it, but one season turns into the next and all of a sudden here we are 10 years later.
In the larger picture, I’m less worried about the “window” and time where our offense is concerned, than I am about our defense. Offensively, we’ve got a lot of good players still in the first half of their careers.
Defensively, it’s another matter. We need some serious personnel changes… players and/or coaches, and maybe both. Outside of Vita, Antoine is our only other really seasoned vet who’s been a consistent playmaker (although he fell off a bit this year).
Some of our defensive players, including the 2025 rookies, show some serious promise. But, when your defensive scheme constantly has guys coming off the field and asking each other “was that my mistake”, or “who was supposed to cover him”, something is wrong.
For two years we heard that Jose Ramirez was giving Tristan (who is arguably the best Tackle in football) fits during practices. How come the guy never made it into a game??
Maybe the defensive scheme is too convoluted. Just sayin’…
In the meantime, the clock keeps ticking on our window into the playoffs.
A .500 record after 4 or 5 seasons may not be a bad record, but it is an indicator of about how far we can go under the current leadership.
And in the background, Father Time continues his slow march toward some of our best players.
Time for a change at the top.
January 14th, 2026 at 6:28 am
I don’t remember tooo many instances of nearly ALL coaches being fired, but the HC remained.
It feels odd.
January 14th, 2026 at 6:30 am
Injuries.
January 14th, 2026 at 6:35 am
AFC North and NFC East both had fewer total victories than the NFC South this year…
January 14th, 2026 at 6:39 am
Todd Bowles deserves NOTHING but to be fired with extreme prejudice. He has failed miserably in so many ways it’s crazy. And they didn’t even make him give up the DC job. This entire organization is a national embarrassment. Never ever forget 3 and 28 and “we as coaches can’t do any more. It’s on the players”.
To the Glazer family……EFFF U.
January 14th, 2026 at 6:42 am
Of course he’d say that. I love how his “supporters” love to point out the playoffs and South titles mean he’s doing a good job. 2024 was the year, with our greatest OC and offensive output ever that we should’ve swept the South and smoking teams in the regular season and playoffs but we didn’t. We limped into the playoffs with a 10-7 record needing the final game of the season to secure the South title. His defense has been roasted by the greatest qb that ever lived, Mr Curt “YOU LIKE THAT!!!” Cousins. Todd Bowles defense and in game decisions are what lost us several games we should’ve won. He is less than a middling coach with a poor record and he has failed to improve this defense since he took over. As a “defensive guru” he hasn’t drafted nor developed any superstars or even good players on defense. As long as he’s here the Bucs will remain sub par
January 14th, 2026 at 6:55 am
Todd didn’t just have a bad year he over saw the 2-7 collapse of a team many said was a Superbowl contender. He was in charge of the last place red zone defense. He gave up 411 points this year. Jbf wants to steadily parade one Bowles supporter after another which I find strangely peculiar. Woke joke
January 14th, 2026 at 7:02 am
Please Joe. Talib has zero credibilty, Guns and Ammo may want him for some insight. Not this Bucs fan. Wanna be thug.
Go Bucs!
January 14th, 2026 at 7:45 am
This guy is a total idiot.
January 14th, 2026 at 8:00 am
It was the weakest division in the nfl the last 4 years, and he just barely won it. Jeez!!
January 14th, 2026 at 8:01 am
What garro said
January 14th, 2026 at 8:21 am
If it weren’t for Todd Bowles bad defensive play calling Byron Leftwich would be a 2 time Super Bowl winning Offensive Coordinator.
January 14th, 2026 at 8:39 am
damn how many coaches walk away from the game and hand over a Super Bowl roster and a hall of fame quarterback? He was handed a playoff caliber roster so saying winning division titles In the worst division in football is like a baby daddy bragging about how he takes care of his kids. He should be able to maintain a playoff roster and this is still the best roster in the NFC South but he’s tied for 3rd place. It doesn’t matter who we sign in free agency, who the new OC is, or who we draft because Todd Bowles is the head coach, this is another throwaway season and everybody knows it except the delusional fans who think dominating the chiefs in the Super Bowl had nothing to do with Mahomes being injured and being down two offensive linemen which caused them to shuffle the lineup and put guys at new positions. Bowles scheme is trash
January 14th, 2026 at 8:42 am
Talib was always a moron.
January 14th, 2026 at 10:43 am
The team has regressed each year since Tom Brady’s departure. 1st year we made it to the divisional round, 2nd year wildcard loss, now they are sitting on the couch after NOT making the playoffs. That sounds like this year we win five or six games. The cards were on the table and ownership turned their backs. We might be headed back to the lost decade years again.
January 14th, 2026 at 10:53 am
I hear the p!ss!ng and moaning about our HC, and his record here in Tampa…
All JBFers all act like it is just so very easy, simple even to find a winning HC.
One’s like Harbaugh, or Tomlin. Who both have had nearly two decades of HC experience in on one team. The Ravens and Steelers franchises are also looking for new HC’es. When both of them have had seasons of bad football teams they were in charge of.
Who can say that our next HC won’t be two years and done? That is no way to build a successful team… It takes time to draft players, train players, get the correct positional coaches. And by then your time is up, next new HC and the same sh!t show happens again and two years later again…
Is Bowles perfect? No, absolutely nonHC is.
Am I ready for better Defensive play calling and results to be improved YES SIR!
I feel Bowles has been to loyal to his guys… And he made them walk th3 plank, or they admitted it was past time for them to step away..
We need a fresher group of coaches. New Ideas. New ways of getting and keeping players attentions.
McDaniel, or Monken, my first two choices.
As It sits today. That job is Bowles and Lights.. not mine or yours.
We do need some changes to 5he Defensive plan..as with the Offensive plan. We struck gold twice and missed out on OC #3… Hopefully we can find success with OC #4, whoever 5hat ends up being.
Go!!!!!Bucs!!!!!
January 14th, 2026 at 11:31 am
“”Todd didn’t just have a bad year he over saw the 2-7 collapse of a team many said was a Superbowl contender. He was in charge of the last place red zone defense. He gave up 411 points this year. Jbf wants to steadily parade one Bowles supporter after another which I find strangely peculiar. Woke joke””
Some of us apparently have a short or selective memory. Unfortunately I remember every awful Bowles led performance this year and last. He’s without question the worst HC in the entire league. We’re behind every game before they even take the field. I’m sick of it. He’s an arrogant fool. And he’ll most definitely prove it again in 26. This entire organization is a joke.
January 14th, 2026 at 11:51 am
Winning the NFC South is as impressive as French kissing your sister!
January 14th, 2026 at 12:28 pm
WHy would anyone give a flying F what this guy thinks?
Dude is punching cab drivers. SMDH.
Come on Joe’s…everybody has a podcast these days
January 14th, 2026 at 12:43 pm
Give me a break
First winning a division title on NFCsouth the softest division in football bid deal
This time could not have made the playoffs any year if they didn’t win because all the Wild Card teams where better
BOWLES HAS WON ONE PLAYOFF GAME EVER
This guy gets a pass NO OTHER COACH DOES
WHY???!!!!
Where were these players when Gruden was fired WHO WON A SUPERBOWL
BUT HAD ONE BAD YEAR
January 14th, 2026 at 12:46 pm
The thing is if we were a 4 win team than his resume would look good. But we arent, this team can win 12 games, without Bowles. So when you look at the Tomlin situation and the Harbaugh, even Mike Mcdaniel, these guys have equal to or better records than Bowles and were fired because they couldnt take the team a step further. Glazers are turtling
January 14th, 2026 at 1:21 pm
RustyRhinos Says:
January 14th, 2026 at 10:53 am
I hear the p!ss!ng and moaning about our HC, and his record here in Tampa…
All JBFers all act like it is just so very easy, simple even to find a winning HC.
^^^^^^^^
I expect Bowles to have a competent defensive scheme. If he had that, I’d overlook his other gaffes and blunders. The defense has been bad for 2 years now, that’s unacceptable.
January 14th, 2026 at 2:13 pm
This team with Bowzo HC and these players is going nowhere this year. Draft nor trades can help. Bowzo the Great. Clown Coach GOAT.
January 14th, 2026 at 3:11 pm
after watching raise the flags and hearing aaron rodgers’s speech i get why they are giving him one more year, gotta be the personnel more than the coaching
January 14th, 2026 at 3:27 pm
“”This guy gets a pass NO OTHER COACH DOES
WHY???!!!!””
I suspect if the moronic Glazers didn’t just arbitrarily give Bowels that extension he’d be unemployed right now. I know they’ve done it before but I don’t think they wanted to look like fools again. Didn’t work. They look like fools again.
January 14th, 2026 at 7:48 pm
Can anyone honestly see this team going to the Superbowl with Bowles as coach? If Bowles was fired today would he be hired as a head coach this year? If the answer is no then why is he here. The only way the Bucs go to the Superbowl is if they buy a ticket.
January 14th, 2026 at 7:51 pm
Bowles’ buy out is 15 million . Texas A&M bought out Jimbo Fisher for 70 million. Cheap a$$ Glazers as owners strikes again. Aqib Talib sees color and that’s all. Stick together like glue at all costs.
January 15th, 2026 at 7:45 am
He’ll give him 100 endzone seats for underprivileged children and have him sit in the stands w them . He can do a pregame program and help get autographs !!