Former NFL executive addresses Buccaneers' surprising Todd Bowles move

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers surprised members of the NFL community when they confirmed on Thursday that they had signed head coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht to multiyear contract extensions. 

Later in the evening, former NFL executive and current league analyst Marc Ross explained during NFL Network's "The Insiders" program how Buccaneers ownership "felt strongly about" keeping the Bowles-Licht partnership together beyond the upcoming season. 

"There’s that continuity. You’re not thinking about who’s coming in," Ross said about the Buccaneers' regime, per the JoeBucsFan website. "...You have your two key figures working together. And I’m sure Jason and Todd have a fabulous working relationship, and everybody in that building feels that. You see the results." 

Licht and Bowles have been working together ever since the latter first became Tampa Bay's defensive coordinator in 2019. Bowles was later promoted to his current role after Bruce Arians stepped down as Buccaneers head coach in March 2022.

Bowles' first three seasons in charge of the Buccaneers were filled with numerous highs and lows. While Tampa Bay won the NFC South division title each year over the past three campaigns, his squads have gone 1-3 in postseason play. Overall, Bowles holds an unspectacular overall regular-season record of 27-24.

A rumor from this past December claiming that Bowles was thinking about retiring after the 2024 season was coupled with a suggestion that Tampa Bay could target North Carolina Tar Heels football head coach Bill Belichick. The buyout attached to Belichick's North Carolina contract decreased from $10M to $1M after June 1, and Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk was among those who felt Tampa Bay was arguably "the most viable" landing spot for the six-time Super Bowl champion head coach. 

The Buccaneers instead gave Bowles a financial vote of confidence. 

"I think what Todd Bowles has done is really show [how to] bring the team together with that stability," Ross added. "That stability, that continuity, I think you see the results with the Bucs. And I think they’re the favorite, once again, to win the division and make some more hay in the playoffs."

As of Friday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had the Buccaneers as -110 betting favorites to finish the upcoming season atop the division standings. It now seems that Tampa Bay falling short of that achievement wouldn't cost Bowles his job in January.