The Tampa Bay Buccaneers secured two key leaders from the 2020 Super Bowl season for the long term on June 26.
General manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles, who have kept the Buccaneers winning since the 2020 title, both signed contract extensions. Licht served as general manager when the team brought in Tom Brady via free agency in 2020 to bolster an already talented and seasoned roster. Bowles served as the defensive coordinator for that 2020 team, which dismantled the Kansas City Chiefs 31–9 in Super Bowl LV.
After three years as defensive coordinator, Bowles moved up to head coach in March 2022 when former head coach Bruce Arians stepped down. Bowles kept the success going with NFC South titles in 2022, 2023, and 2024, although the team’s playoff record was 1–3 in that stretch. Overall, Bowles has a 27–24 regular-season record with the Buccaneers.
“I am excited to continue working with Jason for years to come as we build on the success we’ve enjoyed and keep reaching for even bigger and better goals,” Bowles said in a statement. “My family loves Tampa and we’re looking forward to delivering more great moments for our fans in the coming seasons. I also appreciate the confidence that the Glazer family has shown in my abilities to lead this football team. It is a responsibility I do not take lightly.”
Bowles had ups and downs in his coaching career before Tampa Bay. His previous head coaching job with the New York Jets resulted in a 24–40 record in four seasons, and his teams never made the playoffs despite drafting quarterback Sam Darnold with the No. 3 pick in 2018.
Bowles ironically now has the quarterback who went ahead of Darnold, Baker Mayfield, in that draft. Mayfield joined the Buccaneers on a one-year deal in 2023 after Brady retired, and the former No. 1 pick revived his career with Bowles and the Buccaneers.
Licht, who plowed through his first six seasons with no playoff appearances, kept the success under Brady alive with the Mayfield acquisition. In addition, Licht has succeeded in drafting key talent such as star wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, former linebacker Devin White from the Super Bowl team, offensive lineman Tristan Wirfs, safety Antoine Winfield Jr., and running back Bucky Irving.
Licht has also acquired numerous key free agents along the way besides Brady, including former tight end Rob Gronkowski, former running back Leonard Fournette, former linebacker Shaquil Barrett, and current linebacker Haason Reddick.
“I am very grateful to the Glazer family for the trust and belief they have shown in what we are doing here,” Licht said in a news release. “I am also very excited to continue working alongside Todd well into the future as we continue our mission of finding and developing talented players and chasing additional championships for our fans.”
Bowles and Licht will now look to keep building on the most successful stretch in franchise history. Despite being two-time Super Bowl winners, Tampa Bay has been a losing franchise for the majority of its 49 seasons, with an all-time record of 318–457–1.
Tampa Bay’s current streaks of five straight playoff appearances and four straight division titles are the longest in franchise history. The Buccaneers notably fell off after the 2003 Super Bowl win with back-to-back losing seasons and Wild Card exits in two of the three following years.
Tampa Bay then went through a 12-year playoff drought from 2008 to 2019, but Licht ended that with solid drafting and the hiring of Arians as the head coach in 2019. Arians and Bowles are two of the top-three winningest coaches in franchise history, besides former head coach Tony Dungy, who led the team from 1996 to 2001.
