Report: Buccaneers could retain Dirk Koetter

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have yet to make a decision on head coach Dirk Koetter and could still retain him for the 2019 season, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports.

It has been widely assumed that Koetter would be shown the door at the end of his third season as the Bucs' coach, but ownership will reportedly gather at the end of the campaign and could potentially bring back Koetter, along with his coaching staff and quarterback Jameis Winston.

A year after Koetter kept his job following a 5-11 finish, the Bucs sit last in the NFC South with a 5-9 record.

However, the Bucs' defense has been much improved since the firing of coordinator Mike Smith and the offense is ranked third in yards.

Tampa Bay could potentially blow up their current regime by breaking up the trio of Koetter, Winston, and general manager Jason Licht. The quarterback's $20.9-million salary is guaranteed for injury only in 2019, so the Bucs could release him this offseason without incurring a dead-money hit to their cap.