The culture of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers changed when general manager Jason Licht managed to sign QB Tom Brady in free agency ahead of the 2020 NFL season.
Since then, the Bucs have won the NFC South every season since winning the Super Bowl at the conclusion of Brady’s first year in Tampa Bay.
Well, this track record of winning has prompted ownership to reward both their head coach and general manager with multi-year contract extensions ahead of the 2025 NFL season.
Todd Bowles and Jason Licht Sign Contract Extensions
Since the Todd Bowles became the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ahead of the 2022 NFL season, the team has managed to maintain it’s stranglehold on the NFC South with three straight playoff appearances.
The team has managed to sustain this dominance in the division thanks in large part to general manager Jason Licht retaining productive veteran players while consistently infusing the roster with talent via the NFL Draft and free agency — where he landed QB Baker Mayfield.
Bucs Owner/Co-Chairman Joel Glazer applauded the quality job this general manager and head coaching has done in recent years by saying, “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.”
Licht certainly had his fair share of learning moments early in his general manager tenure in Tampa, which saw him trade into the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft to select FSU kicker Roberto Aguayo — who spent just one season with the team before he was unceremoniously released.
Yet, Glazer acknowledged his growth by saying, “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 responded by expressing gratitude to the Glazers by saying, “I am very grateful to the Glazer Family for the trust and belief they have shown in what we are doing here… Their commitment to providing the resources along with their dedication to fostering a winning culture throughout our entire building are the primary reasons for the great success we have enjoyed these past five seasons. 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 great fans.”
Are the Tampa Bay Buccaneers a Super Bowl Contender in 2025?
Licht has quietly built one of the stronger rosters in the league with players like Vita Vea, Antoine Winfield Jr., Chris Godwin, Tristan Wirfs, Bucky Irving, Cade Otton, Graham Barton, Zyon McCollum, and YaYa Diaby all being players selected in recent NFL Drafts who are productive mainstays in the starting lineup.
The Bucs proved last year they could compete with the heavyweights of the NFC with wins over the Detroit Lions, Washington Commanders, and eventual Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
The Bucs managed to retain their entire starting offense and even added Ohio State WR Emeka Egbuka in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
If the defensive additions of sack artist Haason Reddick and talented rookie Benjamin Morrison can make an instant impact for a defense that had it’s fair share of struggles against opposing passing attacks last season, then the Bucs duo of Licht and Bowles could have a shot at hoisting the Lombardi Trophy again in 2025.
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