Todd Bowles has massive expectation for 2024 Buccaneers

As of the early days of training camp, many view the Atlanta Falcons as the favorites to win the NFC South after they signed veteran quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency. 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles is already targeting a bigger goal for his team coming off the club's successful 2023 campaign.

"The expectations for us shouldn’t be just the division," Bowles said while addressing his team at the start of training camp, as shared by the JoeBucsFan website and Michael David Smith of Pro Football Talk. "It’s got to be the Super Bowl. We won the division the last [three] years. Our expectation has got to be how we can be great."

Bowles and the Buccaneers lost quarterback Tom Brady to retirement in February 2023, and the club entered this past December at 4-7 with Baker Mayfield serving as Brady's replacement. Mayfield then helped Tampa Bay win five of six games to claim the division crown before he guided the club to an impressive 32-9 wild-card playoff win over the Philadelphia Eagles.

The Buccaneers did well this offseason to hold onto key cornerstone contributors such as Mayfield and star wide receiver Mike Evans. Bowles made it known during his comments featured in a video posted by the team that he wants Mayfield to "run the show" and also wants certain players to focus on more than just making the final roster this summer.

"Make the team just means you’re trying to get over," Bowles explained. "I’d rather f------ cut you and have somebody who’s busting their a-- than for you to just make the team. You gotta want to be something on this team. You gotta want to be something on this team. And that’s what the f--- I’m looking for. If we can get that done, we’re going to have a hell of a team."

As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook listed the Buccaneers second (+320) behind the Falcons (-120) regarding the betting odds to win the NFC South this season. Bowles may again use such talk as bulletin board material ahead of what he hopes becomes a memorable campaign for the organization.