Running back Rachaad White has provided a solution to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ poor defense.

After an underwhelming 8-9 season and second place in the NFC South, White recently threw shade at his coach Tood Bowles, and said he chewed more than he could swallow.

In an episode of the Loose Cannons podcast, White said that Bowles should give up on defense play-calling and should just focus on being the head coach. He also said that Bowles should stop spreading himself thin, trust his unit coach and staff to take care of the issue.

“I do feel like it would be easier on him,” he began. “I do think he should let somebody else call defense and he just be a head coach. I feel like he'd probably be better off by doing that so he can just focus on really just the head coaching job, and just trust that he has the right defensive staff and things like that.”

“I do think it would make his life more easier,” White stated.

The Buccaneers had a great start to the 2025 regular season. Of the six initial games, they won the first four in tough, close matchups and won against their opponents by just a few points.

Until they lost seven out of the next eight games before winning the finale against the Carolina Panthers. The Buccaneers had lost the playoff berth by then. 

Franchise ownership, the Glazer family, will continue with Bowles as their head coach for the fifth year, given his previous success.

Bowles, too, argued that three division titles should warrant him the position. The Glazers, in turn, made changes and fired their offensive coordinator, Josh Grizzard. 

Rachaad White on Todd Bowles' return

When asked about how White felt to see Bowles return, he said the team needs new faces to rebuild itself. Clarifying that he doesn’t wish ill on anybody, he stated that the franchise shouldn’t keep speandinf upcoming years hoping things would change with the same head coach.

“I just think you get rid of a lot of the staff, you kind of should just go ahead … and I'm not wishing for nobody's job to get taken, but … just get new everything,” he said.

“But I do understand where they're coming from in the aspect of probably like, ‘Yeah, another year. Won't be bad. We won't be a bad (I guess) chance to just see.’ Obviously, we know what it is and everybody knows what it is with this year and what's going on with him and go from there. But, get a new staff so hopefully he can hire the right guy, which is tough. But you try to do the best you can and just see if you can go from there. I think that's the biggest thing.” 

White is setting up for his upcoming free agency. Having played 4 seasons with the Buccaneers, he made 132 carries for 572 yards and scored four touchdowns.

White also stated that he was uncertain of his future, confessing that “I don't know really who want me, if they want me back.”

Do you think the Buccaneers are wasting this upcoming season by keeping Bowles? Should they look for another head coach or give him another chance?

Written by

Akanksha Biradar

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu