Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles is facing questions about his future after a rough start to the season, but former Buccaneers cornerback Rondé Barber believes the team should give him time to work through their problems. The debate intensified as frustration grew over Tampa Bay’s offensive struggles, with some fans calling for a change at head coach.
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On The Rondé Barber Show, host J.B. Biunno raised the idea of keeping Bowles while bringing in an offensive-minded coach to improve the team’s play-calling and production. Barber pushed back, questioning whether Tampa Bay even had an obvious candidate within its current staff to replace Bowles.
“That’s all cute to put out on social media. Doesn’t work like that. Just doesn’t work like that. No! You’re not firing a coach right now. Let him just let him solve his problems himself. They’ll be fine,” Barber said on the show.
Barber’s comments came before the Buccaneers finally got their first win of the 2026 season, beating the Dallas Cowboys 24–16 on Thursday, October 8. Tampa Bay went into the Dallas matchup without a win, at 0-4. Beating the Cowboys finally gave Todd Bowles and his players something to build on, but one victory was not enough to put every concern to rest.
The Buccaneers found their rhythm on the ground, while the defense made life difficult for Dallas and came away with three takeaways. Running back Bucky Irving rushed for a career-high 165 yards and scored twice, while rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels completed 19 of 25 passes for 189 yards and a touchdown in his second NFL start. The Buccaneers finished with 419 total yards, including 241 on the ground, and held Dallas to 16 points.
Daniels was starting in place of injured quarterback Baker Mayfield, and he credited the defense for helping secure the result. Linebacker Alex Anzalone sealed the win with an interception off a tipped pass late in the fourth quarter, ending Dallas’ last serious opportunity to mount a comeback.
“Hats off to our defense,” the rookie said. “They played lights-out the whole entire game.” Alex Anzalone, being able to get that game-winning interception, I appreciate those guys. Offensively, we went out there and were able to execute our game plan.”
Even so, Tampa Bay’s win was not entirely smooth. Bowles chose to go for it on fourth-and-goal from the Dallas 1-yard line while leading 24–10 late in the fourth quarter. Tampa Bay failed to convert, allowing the Cowboys to launch a long drive and score. Dallas missed the two-point conversion, and Alex Anzalone’s interception later ended their hopes of a comeback. Even with the win secured, the call gave critics another reason to question Bowles’ game management.
That context helps explain that Barber believes Bowles deserves time to fix the team’s problems. Biunno suggested that Tampa Bay could retain Todd Bowles while bringing in an offensive-minded coach to improve the team’s play-calling and production.
“I think Bucs fans are sick of offensive inefficiency and want an offensive head coach. We’ve seen that across social media, and uh, if you’re going to have Todd Bowles, you’re going to have a Brian Flores-like dominant defense and you’re going to bring in somebody on the offensive side to call plays that’s, you know, got the offense humming.”
For Barber, social media frustration alone isn’t reason enough to make a midseason coaching change. Tampa Bay’s win over Dallas allows Bowles to address the team’s problems without the added pressure of an immediate job threat. Their next matchup is against the Pittsburgh Steelers on October 18, with Pittsburgh at 2-2, and the Buccaneers will need to show their improved performance wasn’t just a one-game response.