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Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles.

If the Tampa Bay Buccaneers do not get off to a fast start to the 2026 season, they are going to be in a lot of trouble. Eric Williams of Fox Sports highlighted five teams that must get off to a good start, and the Bucs came in at number five.

“Bowles has a 35-33 record and has taken the team to the playoffs in three of his first four years at the helm,” Williams wrote. “But can he prove that last season was a blip? Bowles is on the hot seat after last season’s poor finish and needs a strong start to avoid a potential midseason firing.”

This is a fair critique when you consider how things have gone. The Bucs went from a Wild Card win to a Wild Card loss, to missing the playoffs, showing a three-year decline under Bowles.

There were a lot of changes this offseason, and questions continue to circle around Bowles and quarterback Baker Mayfield as they enter the year. If these two start slow, the noise is going to start to get very loud. A fast start could quiet doubters and propel them into a playoff race.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Second-Half Schedule is Not Easy

The Bucs also need to find the early wins when they can. They face the Browns and Vikings at home in Weeks 2 and 3. The Browns are expected to be poor, while the Vikings are going through quarterback changes early in the year. With a home game against the Steelers in Week 6, they have to win all three of these layups.

Things get a lot tougher after the bye, though. They play eight games after Week 11, and four of them are division games. That also includes three of their last four games. The only non-division game in their last four is the Los Angeles Rams, who happen to be the Super Bowl favorites.

The three other non-division teams in the back stretch include the Los Angeles Chargers, who just added Mike McDaniel, the Detroit Lions, who are looking to bounce back, and the Baltimore Ravens, led by Lamar Jackson.

If the Bucs do not win early, Bowles might not be there for that final stretch. However, even with wins under its belt, the team could be faced with falling back to reality late in the year.

The Bucs Made Dramatic Offseason Improvements To Prevent a Fall Off

The team collapsed to close last year, and tried to make sure that will not happen again with their offseason decisions. Tampa Bay added notable veterans such as Rakeem Nunez-Roches and A’Shawn Robinson on defense. They also signed Kenneth Gainwell on offense, and even Miles Killebrew has been a special teams captain.

That leadership should guide the team through tough times. They also have young talent emerging with the additions of Ruben Bain and Josiah Trotter in the 2026 NFL draft.

The combination of youth, talent, depth, and experience is expected to give the team different results this year. Will it be enough to save Bowles’ job?