The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 50th anniversary season officially ended at 4:12 p.m. on January 4, 2026, when the Atlanta Falcons edged the New Orleans Saints 19–17, creating a dramatic three‑way tie atop the NFC South. Despite Tampa Bay’s gritty win over Carolina the day before, the tiebreakers favored the Panthers, handing them the division crown and ending the Bucs’ streak of six straight postseason appearances and four consecutive NFC South titles. It was a bitter conclusion to a season that began with promise and ended with frustration, missed opportunities, and a division slipping away in the final minutes of Week 18.
A Collapse Defined by Missed Opportunities
The Buccaneers’ failure to repeat as division champions can be traced back to a season that started 6–1 but unraveled quickly. Tampa Bay won just two of its final nine games, including losses to multiple teams with losing records — the Falcons, Panthers, Saints, and Cardinals — all by three points or fewer. Any one of those games, had it gone the other way, would have made Saturday’s win over Carolina the clincher for a fifth straight NFC South title.
Instead, even as the Bucs slogged through a dark, rainy Saturday afternoon and beat the Panthers, they no longer controlled their destiny. Their season, in truth, ended long before the Falcons’ victory over the Saints made it official.
Todd Bowles’ Future and Major Offseason Decisions Loom
Now the focus shifts to head coach Todd Bowles and the future of his entire coaching staff. The Glazer family must determine how much of the collapse was due to coaching and how much stemmed from a roster ravaged by injuries on both sides of the ball — a theme echoed throughout the national and local media.
Then comes the biggest personnel decision: quarterback Baker Mayfield. Playing hurt for the final six weeks, Mayfield still produced enough to remain a fan favorite and respected locker‑room leader. He enters the final year of his contract in 2026, earning $30 million guaranteed, and according to reporting from Sports Illustrated, the team plans to begin extension discussions during the year. Still, Tampa Bay is expected to explore drafting a quarterback or signing a low‑cost veteran backup, with names such as Malik Willis and Tyler Huntley circulating as potential targets.
More Questions Than Answers as the Offseason Begins
As Tampa Bay enters the offseason, the organization faces more uncertainty than at any point in the last half‑decade. From coaching decisions to quarterback planning to rebuilding depth across the roster, the Buccaneers must confront hard truths about how a season that began with championship aspirations ended in disappointment.
The 50th anniversary season is over — and the next era begins now.
Mark Eckel takes a look at all six NFL playoff games this weekend
The Playoff Rule Everyone Wants Changed
It’s something that almost everyone wants changed, and yet it never gets changed. Way back in the mid 1990s at almost every owner’s meetings it was brought up that if a wild-card team has a better record than a division champion the wild-card team should get the home playoff game.
Several coaches and general managers before the vote was taken told me though those years they thought the rule should be changed. They felt the team with the better record should get the home game.
Then they would vote and it would stay the same.
This year, some 30 years later, it’s still the same. As the 2026 NFL playoffs kick off the Carolina Panthers, the NFC South champion, losers of their last two games and with a record of 8-9, will host the Los Angeles Rams (12-5), a team many consider the best overall team in the league.
Losing Records Hosting Playoff Games
Carolina will be the fifth team to host a playoff game with a losing record. Those teams, including the 2014 Panthers, are 2-2 in those wild-card games.
Here’s the list:
2010: Seattle (7-9) beat New Orleans (11-5), 41-36 2014: Carolina (7-8-1) beat Arizona (11-5), 27-16 2020: Washington (8-9) lost to Tampa Bay (11-5), 31-23 2022 Tampa Bay (8-9) lost to Dallas (12-5), 31-14
Seattle, in 2010, and Carolina, in 2014, lost in the next round of the playoffs.
Can the Panthers, a 10-point home underdog, pull off the upset and beat the Rams for a second time this season? Here’s a look at all six wild-card games.
Los Angeles Rams at Carolina Panthers, Sat. 4:30 p.m.
Rams coach Sean McVay, at 39 years, 345 days, became the third youngest coach to win his 100th game last week. Only Green Bay’s Curley Lambeau (36) and Chicago’s George Halas (39, 254) were younger. Carolina coach Dave Canales is 44 and trails McVay by 87 wins. One of Canales 13 wins came against the Rams earlier this season, so the Panthers certainly won’t be in awe. Four of the Rams five losses also came on the road this year, so yes Carolina has a chance. If the Panthers can keep it close, watch out for special teams play that also cost the Rams in three of their losses.
Green Bay Packers at Chicago Bears, Sat. 8 p.m.
These two old rivals — the oldest in the NFL — have met 212 times and only two have come in the playoffs. In 1941, the Bears won a Western Division playoff game and in 2010 the Packers won the NFC Championship Game. Both of those were in Chicago. This will also be the third time in six weeks these two meet with each team winning their home game. The Packers rested most of their key players last week to prepare for this one. The Bears played their starters and still lost to Detroit. Green Bay’s 13 road playoff wins are the most in league history and its 37 total playoff wins are tied for second most behind San Francisco’s 39. Chicago’s last playoff appearance was in 2020, its last playoff win was in 2010.
Buffalo Bills at Jacksonville Jaguars, Sun. 1 p.m.
Jacksonville had one of the greatest turnarounds in league history going from 4-13 to 13-4. Only three teams have ever lost 13 games one year and won 13 the next — the 1999 Colts and the Jags and Patriots this year. This is the Bills seventh straight playoff appearance, but their first as a wild-card in six years. Jacksonville comes in winners of eight straight, while the Bills have won five of six, with the only loss a one-point decision to the Eagles in which it tried to win it with a two-point conversion in the final seconds. This might be the best game of the weekend.
San Francisco 49ers at Philadelphia Eagles, Sun. 4:30 p.m.
Under head coach Kyle Shanahan the 49ers are a perfect 6-0 in wild-card and second-round playoff games and two of those were on the road in Dallas and in Green Bay. The Eagles, however, have never lost a home playoff game (5-0) under head coach Nick Sirianni. So something has to give. The Eagles rested their key players last week in a loss to Washington and settled for the No. 3 seed. The 49ers lost a chance to be the top seed when they lost to Seattle. In that game the Niners scored three points, their least since Shanahan’s first game as head coach in 2017.
Los Angeles Chargers at New England Patriots, Sun 8 p.m.
This is the fourth time these two teams will meet in the postseason and the Patriots are 3-0. Of course all three came with Tom Brady at quarterback for the Pats. Drake Maye is having a Brady-like season, but this will be his first postseason game. Jim Harbaugh lost in the first round with the Chargers a year ago, but he has good playoff experience in his time with San Francisco. Mike Vrabel has taken the Pats to the postseason in his first year after taking Tennessee there four times.
Houston Texans at Pittsburgh Steelers, Mon. 8 p.m.
Pittsburgh hasn’t won a playoff game since 2016, going 0-5 since then. The Steelers have lost to Jacksonville at home (2017), Cleveland at home (2020), at Kansas City (2021), at Buffalo (2023) and at Baltimore (2024). Are they due? Or are they cursed? Houston comes in on a nine-game winning streak. The Texans are 0-6 in road playoff games. And they haven’t won in Pittsburgh since 2002. Houston QB C.J. Stroud was nine years old when Aaron Rodgers won the Super Bowl for Green Bay in 2010.
In a coaching cycle defined by chaos, turnover, and front‑office instability, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers present a rare point of clarity. While several franchises are firing general managers, reshuffling scouting departments, or tearing down their organizational structures entirely, Tampa Bay stands out for one reason above all: stability.
If the Buccaneers decide to part ways with Todd Bowles, they would immediately become one of the most attractive destinations on the market. Few teams can offer John Harbaugh or any top‑tier candidate the combination Tampa Bay already has in place: a fully aligned ownership group, a championship‑proven front office, and a roster foundation capable of competing quickly with the right leadership.
Where other franchises are selling hope, the Buccaneers can sell infrastructure, continuity, and a blueprint that has already delivered a Lombardi Trophy. For a veteran coach like Harbaugh, who values organizational alignment as much as on‑field talent, Tampa Bay represents something increasingly rare in today’s NFL: a place where a coach can walk in on Day 1 and know the building is already functioning at a championship standard.
General manager Jason Licht has been the anchor of the franchise for a decade. He’s drafted well, navigated cap challenges, and built multiple playoff‑caliber rosters. For Harbaugh, who thrives in environments where the front office and coaching staff operate as partners, Licht represents a massive competitive advantage.
Ownership That Spends Big and Thinks Big
The Glazer family has never been afraid to make bold, expensive, franchise‑altering decisions. They traded for Jon Gruden. They hired Bruce Arians. They signed Tom Brady. And they funded the roster that delivered a Super Bowl in 2020.
Unlike several teams in the current coaching market, Tampa Bay’s ownership is:
Stable
Unified
Financially powerful
Aggressive when opportunity knocks
If Harbaugh wants full staff control, top‑tier coordinator salaries, and the freedom to build a championship‑level infrastructure, the Glazers are one of the few ownership groups willing and able to deliver it.
A Winnable Division and a Faster Path Back to the Playoffs
The NFC South remains one of the weakest divisions in football. That alone makes Tampa Bay a more attractive job than several AFC openings, where Harbaugh would be battling Patrick Mahomes, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, and Justin Herbert just to reach the postseason.
In Tampa, the path is clearer:
A division in transition
A roster with young talent
A GM who knows how to reload quickly
A conference with fewer elite quarterbacks
Harbaugh could realistically return the Bucs to playoff contention immediately, something that cannot be said for most teams pursuing him.
A Market That Fits Harbaugh’s Personality and Priorities
Tampa offers a balance Harbaugh would appreciate: a passionate fan base, a major‑league market, and a lifestyle that allows privacy and family comfort. It’s competitive without being chaotic, ambitious without being overwhelming.
For a coach who values culture, stability, and long‑term vision, Tampa checks every box.
The Bottom Line
Other teams may be louder in their pursuit. Others may have flashier rosters or bigger media markets. But no team offers Harbaugh a cleaner, more stable, or more immediately winnable situation than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
If Harbaugh wants the best chance to win now — and build something lasting — Tampa Bay is the job.
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins walks off the field following the Falcons’ loss to Seattle Seahawks in an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 20, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/ Mike Stewart )
By: Ciao Miari, Daniel Valente
Late Surge Falls Short for Atlanta Falcons
Four straight wins to close the season weren’t enough to save Raheem Morris and Terry Fontenot in Atlanta.
The Falcons fired both head coach Morris and general manager Fontenot on Sunday, the team announced.
Decision Comes After Final Win
The major decisions came hours after the Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints. It was Atlanta’s fourth straight victory. However, the team finished the 2025 season with a losing 8-9 record, missing the playoffs for the eighth consecutive year.
Search for New Leadership
The Falcons said they will use a search firm to help find a new head coach and a different search firm to help find the next general manager.
In addition to these changes, Atlanta will also hire a new president of football from outside the organization, according to a statement from owner Arthur Blank. The new head coach and general manager will report directly to the president of football, who will have final say on decision-making. Blank adds that he plans to quickly find a president of football so that the individual can be “fully involved” in the hires.
Front Office Restructuring
President Greg Beadles will also add CEO to his list of responsibilities, succeeding Rich McKay. Beadles will “collaborate closely” with the president of football to ensure everything is “working toward the goal of a winning product.” Meanwhile, McKay will focus on Arthur M. Blank Sports and Entertainment initiatives such as planning the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Super Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“I understand trust is built through action, not words,” Blank explained. “Honesty, effort, and accountability must be reflected in the way this organization operates and performs. Moving forward, every decision will be made with one clear objective – building a team capable of sustained success and competing for championships. I am confident that our new football structure and leadership will have us contending again soon.”
Morris’ Tenure in Atlanta
Morris, 49, had a brief stint as Atlanta’s interim head coach in 2020 and posted a 4-7 record. He won the full-time job in 2024 after the Falcons conducted a lengthy interview process to replace Arthur Smith. Overall, Atlanta went 20-25 under Morris.
Fontenot’s Draft Record
The Falcons didn’t make any playoff appearances in five seasons under Fontenot’s management despite spending significant draft capital on standout skill-position players. From 2021-24, Atlanta used top-10 picks on tight end Kyle Pitts, receiver Drake London, running back Bijan Robinson, and quarterback Michael Penix Jr.
Atlanta drafted Penix in 2024 roughly a month after giving veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins a four-year, $180-million contract. Cousins hit free agency that year after sustaining a torn Achilles in October 2023.
Fontenot’s final draft with the Falcons also invited scrutiny. After drafting edge rusher Jalon Walker 15th overall, Fontenot gave up a package of picks that included his 2026 first-rounder to grab fellow edge rusher James Pearce at No. 26.
Looking Ahead
Retired quarterback Matt Ryan – the Falcons’ all-time passing leader – has recently been linked to a high-profile front-office position with the franchise.
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