Todd Bowles Adamant He Won’t Praise Players For First Three Days Of OTAs
June 2nd, 2026
No soup for you!
That’s how Joe interpreted an answer by Todd Bowles today.
Joe asked a reasonable and very basic question of the head coach immediately following the fourth practice day of the team’s spring practice schedule, aka OTAs. Bowles wanted no part Joe’s quest for information.
JoeBucsFan.com: Coach, after watching all the film of the last week’s first three days of OTAs, who really stood out to you?
Todd Bowles: Again, shorts and t-shirts, we’re talking two-hand touch. I’m not going to praise anybody for playing flag football right now — unless we were playing flag football. Really the learning and the understanding and getting the routes down if you’re a receiver, getting your footwork down if you’re an offensive lineman. Defensively, hands and communication, that’s kind of what we’re focusing on right now. I’m not going to give anybody a gold star just because they did something in shorts and t-shirts. They’ve been working hard, which is what they’re supposed to do.
Earlier in his brief news conference, Bowles used the “shorts and t-shirts” line to further underscore how the Bucs aren’t playing real football, courtesy of NFL rules. And Joe gets why Bowles doesn’t want to say anyone impressed him.
But it does seem like a change in attitude for Bowles. A year ago, Joe asked Bowles the same question and the head coach dropped love on SirVocea Dennis.
June 2nd, 2026 at 5:01 pm
Learned his lesson? I get it, give the shout outs after a good game you win, not practice.
June 2nd, 2026 at 5:23 pm
/agreed
June 2nd, 2026 at 5:23 pm
Remember last season when Joe was so enamored with Bowles for “realizing” we needed to score more points than the opponent????
This smells like the same thing warmed over for 2026.
I mean look at the craziness that ensued over a one handed grab in the first practice.
At this point we have been sold snake oil too many times.
The magic beans are not going to germinate this year.
June 2nd, 2026 at 5:29 pm
Playing in shorts vs pads are two separate entities. You can’t make comparisons. Until those pads are on and players start hitting each other you won’t know how your draftises actually perform.
When the hitting begins, the cream will rise to the top.
June 2nd, 2026 at 6:16 pm
Joe … ‘But it does seem like a change in attitude for Bowles. A year ago, Joe asked Bowles the same question and the head coach dropped love on SirVocea Dennis.’
Ya, and he got lambasted for it. Who says you can’t teach old dogs new tricks?
June 2nd, 2026 at 6:24 pm
Even if a player like Trotter wasn’t performing in coverage, Bowles wouldn’t call him out to the press (hopefully in meetings though). That’s why it’s so important to me to hear from Joe about how good the coverage is.
June 2nd, 2026 at 6:25 pm
Could have said, “Emeka can still make some crazy catches” and just leave it at that.
He’d be speaking the obvious, telling the truth while not pumping up somebody who will end up playing bad later. Even in underwear football that was a crazy catch.
June 2nd, 2026 at 6:41 pm
Nobody cares what Todd says anymore. What we care about is what he does. Does he fix the defense? Does he develop Bain Trotter and Scott? Does he take key players off the field when outcome is already decided? Does he push the offense into turtle mode once they have a lead? Can he figure out clock management?
June 2nd, 2026 at 7:05 pm
“Really the learning and the understanding and getting the routes down if you’re a receiver, getting your footwork down if you’re an offensive lineman. Defensively, hands and communication, that’s kind of what we’re focusing on right now.”
Save the hand wringing and back patting for playmakers when they make plays that matter. As of right now, it’s all about getting the mental part to the point it’s instinct or close to it
June 2nd, 2026 at 7:29 pm
Instead of who stood out how about asking is Trotter picking up the defense? Do you think he can wear the green dot as a rookie?
June 2nd, 2026 at 7:39 pm
Good for Bowles. Yes Joe remember too well how we were told how good Dennis was. With that in mind hard to understand why people were excited because Morrison got an interception in flag football. Please no more telling us how good people on the defense are. I want to see this secondary against Cinn. Then we will have an idea.
June 2nd, 2026 at 8:12 pm
Just stay healthy please.
June 2nd, 2026 at 8:54 pm
No way. He will throw them under the bus though!! Atta boy way to learn your lessons you dumbo. Same coach same results
June 2nd, 2026 at 9:22 pm
Bowles is in his “prove it” year. He’s going to do his very best to ensure that his defense does the talking.
June 3rd, 2026 at 8:18 am
Keep the rolled up newspaper handy @DR.