Premonitions?

{op-ed}

Clarification: The following has never been positively proven. It is up to the reader to decide.

Couldn’t Help

Knowing what we know about the Bucs so far this season, and coupling that with the heroics Mike Evans displayed Sunday in a tight win over Seattle that moved the 49ers to 5-0, one couldn’t help but realize that, for Mike Evans, the bottom line when he left was that the Bucs, under Todd Bowles, were going absolutely nowhere in 2026.

Comparatively, the 49ers still have plenty left in the tank. Many in the national media predicted that San Francisco’s window for another Super Bowl run was closing fast, if it hadn’t already shut. With the reigning Super Bowl champion Seahawks and an already strong Rams team that improved during the offseason in the same division, the odds seemingly were long.

Same Old, Same Old

Evans’ performance against the Seahawks was stellar. Seven receptions for 113 yards and a touchdown don’t tell the whole story. It was clutch reception after clutch reception, moving the chains in crucial situations. Mike put on a show, one that Bucs fans know well. I had been waiting for Mr. Evans to have that kind of game. You knew it was coming.

The High Road

In my opinion, Mike Evans chose the high road. He never said what many thought was obvious when he left town. He never said that his departure was linked to Todd Bowles’ return as head coach.

That’s not to say he would have stayed had Bowles been replaced. However, if Bowles had been replaced after the 2023 season with Dave Canales or after the 2025 season with Liam Coen, the chances of Evans staying would certainly have been better.

Comparisons

Bowles inherited a pretty good football team from Bruce Arians. Since becoming head coach, Bowles has won three division titles. His first came with a losing record of 8-9, his second with a record of 9-8, and his last with a record of 10-7.

It’s safe to say that those first two division crowns would never have happened had he been coaching in any other division in the NFL.

When Jon Gruden took over, he won a Super Bowl. He then experienced back-to-back losing seasons, finishing 7-9 and 5-11 over the next two years. In Gruden’s third season after winning the Lombardi Trophy, the team took a big step forward, finishing 11-5 and earning Gruden his second division crown. The following year, the Bucs plummeted to 4-12. Once again, Gruden rallied the troops, leading the team to a 9-7 record the next season and winning his third division crown.

While it can be said that Gruden had some pretty rough years during his time in Tampa, one thing stands out: He found a way to turn down years into successful campaigns and division titles twice.

That is something I believe Todd Bowles is incapable of pulling off anywhere he serves as the top dog. That’s not a bash on Mr. Bowles. Some guys just aren’t meant to be head coaches, no matter how likable they are.

I would also like to point out that Jason Licht’s draft choices overall during Bowles’ time here have been basically average to below average, with perhaps one or two exceptions. Teams live and die by the draft, and this team has been dying.

Because of that, this team won’t be playoff-caliber anytime soon, regardless of who the coach is. Nothing has really changed in the division. The Saints and Panthers are a bit better, but the division was—and probably still is—winnable with a relatively low win total when all is said and done.

Final Thoughts and a Bold Prediction

For an NFL team to improve and thrive, it takes a winning combination of a head coach, general manager, and ownership. The Bucs are in a position where neither ownership nor the general manager seems to recognize the problem.

Bowles is not the guy under any circumstances.

Had Licht recognized over the last few seasons that Bowles wasn’t the right man for the job and advised ownership to make a coaching change, I could give him a pass. But that wasn’t the case heading into 2026.

Over the last five seasons, Licht has not shown that he is capable of rebuilding this franchise into a respectable team through the draft or otherwise. He was able to do it once, and he was a major reason Tom Brady wanted to come to Tampa, where he found a roster already loaded with talent.

That was then. This is now.

What have you done for me lately?

In my personal and humble opinion, until the Bucs replace both Bowles and, to a lesser degree, Jason Licht, the team will not return to its glory days. Neither has shown that he has what it takes to turn things around from where the franchise stands today.

That’s depressing because ownership here tends to remain loyal to the status quo. The organization becomes attached to its employees and sometimes keeps them around far longer than it should.

Disclaimer

This is an opinion-oriented article reflecting the author’s personal views. It may not represent the sentiments of Bucs Life Media’s ownership or editorial staff.