NFL

Bucs ink Bowles, GM Licht to multiyear extensions

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht to multiyear contract extensions, it was announced Thursday.

“Jason and Todd’s leadership has been critical to our organization’s success. The winning culture they have established has us well positioned for the future,” Buccaneers owner/co-chairman Joel Glazer said in a statement. “The continuity and stability they provide will play a large role in our ability to compete for additional championships.”

The team didn’t provide terms, but sources told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler that Bowles’ deal is a three-year extension through the 2028 season.

Bowles, 61, enters his fourth season as the team’s head coach with a 27-24 record and having won three consecutive NFC South titles from 2022 to 2024. His 27 regular-season victories are the franchise’s second-best total through three seasons behind Bruce Arians, his predecessor.

“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. “… 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 and am honored to have.”

Bucs coach Todd Bowles (left) and GM Jason Licht have signed multiyear extensions with the team. Tampa Bay has won four straight NFC South titles — three with Bowles — and is the only NFC team to reach the playoffs in each of the past five seasons. Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire

Licht is currently the NFL’s fifth-longest-tenured traditional general manager, entering his 12th season with the Bucs.

The Bucs finished 10-7 last season, losing to the Editor’s Picks

1 Related

Tampa Bay leads the NFL in total snaps and starts by homegrown players drafted in Rounds 1-5 since 2014.

“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 statement. “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.”

Under Bowles, who served as the Bucs’ defensive coordinator before being promoted to head coach, the team’s defense has ranked among the NFL’s best since 2019, leading the NFL in rushing defense (93.8 yards per game), opponent yards per carry (4.0), and fumble recoveries (68), while placing second in sacks (281.0) and fifth in red zone efficiency (53.8%).

Overall, Bowles has a 53-65 record as a head coach. In addition to three games as interim coach of the Miami Dolphins in 2011, Bowles spent four seasons on the sidelines with the New York Jets from 2015 to 2018, going 24-40.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.