Todd Bowles is taking heat again, and this time the criticism is coming from someone who spent a full season in his locker room.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are off to a 1-5 start, dead last in the NFC, and another loss to the NFC South-leading Carolina Panthers on Sunday would all but bury their playoff chances. That ugly beginning has put Bowles squarely in the crosshairs, with plenty of the noise around the Bucs’ struggles landing on the head coach.
One of the loudest voices is former Buccaneers running back Leonard Fournette, who played under Bowles in 2022. During an appearance on the 4th & South podcast he co-hosts with former NFL player Jarvis Landry, Fournette gave a candid read on what it was like dealing with Bowles from the offensive side of the ball.
“He might yell, but it's not one of those yells you take [seriously]," Fournette said on the podcast. "I respect him, but it's like, [when Bruce Arians] got on your ass, he got on your ass... by Bowles being a defense-minded coach, he doesn't pay attention to the offense as much. So I don't know - maybe favoritism?"
Fournette said that when Bowles barked at the team, it never really landed with him. He also pointed to Bowles’ defensive background as a reason he felt the offense didn’t get the same level of attention.
In Fournette’s lone season with Bowles as head coach, he ran for 668 yards on 189 carries and scored three rushing touchdowns. He also added three receiving touchdowns.
The criticism comes with some context, though. Bowles has reached the playoffs in all but one of his seasons leading the Buccaneers, won 10 games in 2024 and picked up a playoff victory in 2023. Even so, the inconsistencies have kept following him, and the frustration around his tenure has only grown with Tampa Bay’s latest stumble.
The Bucs will try to steady things when they face the Panthers at 1 p.m. on the road Sunday.
In Other News...
Baker Mayfield Carries One Huge Buccaneers Question Into Panthers Game
Baker Mayfield has carried the Buccaneers through the first part of the season with the kind of toughness Tampa Bay has come to expect, and now he heads into Week 7 with a little extra attention on his right hand. Officially listed as questionable against Carolina, Mayfield was a full participant in practice all week after dislocating his thumb in Week 3, leaving the team to sort through the usual pregame injury-report suspense around its quarterback.
Todd Bowles said Mayfield looks ready to play, which is the key development for a Buccaneers offense that also has to navigate the absence of top receiver Emeka Egbuka, who has been ruled out with a concussion. Mayfield is expected to wear a custom glove on the injured hand, a small but notable detail for a team that would rather keep the conversation centered on the game plan than on what its quarterback is wearing when he takes the field. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Face A Season Pressure Game In Carolina Shorthanded
Sundays trip to Bank of America Stadium carries a little extra weight for Tampa Bay, and it comes with a depleted roster on both sides. The Buccaneers head to Carolina on Oct. 25 with several players unavailable, adding another layer of difficulty to a division matchup that already has plenty riding on it. Fans who want to follow along can catch the game locally on FOX, with streaming options on NFL+ and NFL Sunday Ticket, while radio coverage is set for WXTB 97.9 FM and SiriusXM Channel 380.
The injury list is the bigger story for Tampa Bay, though, because it trims away some of the teams margin for error at a time when every AFC South-style slip in the division feels magnified. Carolina has its own absences to manage, but the Buccaneers challenge is figuring out how to get through a road game without some key pieces available, and how much it can still demand from a shorthanded group in a matchup that could shape the tone of the stretch ahead. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Get The Weather Break They Needed In Carolina
A much-needed break is waiting for Tampa Bay in Charlotte, where the Buccaneers are set to play the Panthers under sunny skies and mild temperatures around 65 to 70 degrees. After dealing with some less cooperative conditions in recent weeks, the setting at Bank of America Stadium should be about as clean as it gets for an offense trying to get back on track, with no rain expected and only a moderate breeze in the forecast.
The wind, listed around 10 mph with gusts up to 20 mph, should not force any real changes to Tampa Bay's game plan, especially with Baker Mayfield on track to return after missing three games because of a thumb injury. It could still be enough to add a little difficulty on the edges of the operation, particularly for the kicking game and for any longer punts, but the bigger picture is simple: the Buccaneers should be able to lean on their passing attack without the weather getting in the way. [Read more 🡒]