The tradition of Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles being the subject of “hot seat” rumors each offseason continued this past spring.
On Thursday morning, the Buccaneers put such chatter to bed for the foreseeable future when they confirmed that they have signed both Bowles and general manager Jason Licht to multiyear contract extensions.
“Jason and Todd’s excellent leadership and vision have been critical to our organizational success, and the winning culture they have established has us well positioned into the future,” Buccaneers owner and co-chairman Joel Glazer said via a statement shared by Scott Smith of the team’s website. “Jason has evolved into one of the top talent evaluators and general managers in the NFL, while Todd has led us to three consecutive division titles and is one of the league’s leading defensive minds. Under their guidance, we will continue building towards another championship.”
Licht seemingly wasn’t in much danger of losing his job before Thursday’s developments. Under his leadership, the Buccaneers claimed one Super Bowl championship and four division titles from the start of the 2020 season through the 2024 campaign.
However, a curious rumor surfaced this past December suggesting that Bowles could retire in early 2025. He poured cold water over that claim, but that didn’t stop some from linking the Buccaneers with none other than current North Carolina Tar Heels football head coach Bill Belichick.
Belichick is still just 15 wins away from breaking Don Shula’s NFL record for career victories earned by a head coach (regular season and postseason combined). The buyout attached to his North Carolina contract dropped from $10M to $1M after June 1.
Bowles holds an overall regular-season record of 27-24 with Tampa Bay but has gone 1-3 in postseason play since January 2023. Nevertheless, Buccaneers insider Ira Kaufman of the JoeBucsFan website hinted earlier in June that Bowles wouldn’t be in jeopardy of losing his job before 2026 at the earliest.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Adam Schefter, Bowles’ deal now runs through the 2028 season.
“I am extremely appreciative of 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 and am honored to have,” Bowles added for the team statement. “It starts at the top, and their unwavering commitment to our organization allows us to perform at our best and compete for championships. I am equally 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.”
