Grading the Buccaneers' extensions of Todd Bowles and Jason Licht

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made two big extensions on Thursday, locking in general manager Jason Licht and head coach Todd Bowles for the forseeable future.

The years on the extensions have not been made public, but regardless, Tampa Bay is making sure that the tandem that has won the NFC South three years in a row and won a playoff game in 2023 is staying together. The move continues the franchise's emphasis on continuity, and the Bucs will hope the continued pairing between Licht and Bowles will eventually bring a third championship to Tampa Bay.

The two are a package deal, of course, but are both extensions equally good business? We're grading both Licht and Bowles' extension and how they could impact the Buccaneers long term:

General manager Jason Licht: A+

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht speaks during the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

It's hard to hate on what Jason Licht has done with this football team in the last few seasons — hell, it's hard to say isn't a top 5 general manager in football.

Licht's success at drafting has allowed the Buccaneers to retain and develop homegrown talent over multiple seasons. A big reason why Tampa Bay dug itself out of a hole so quickly after the rent came due on every Tom Brady-era free agent has been due to his drafting prowess and cap sensibility. Last year, 20 of Tampa Bay's 22 starting players were drafted or signed as a UDFA by Jason Licht in Tampa Bay, and that number is likely down to just 19 with the free agency addition of Haason Reddick.

Licht was not only instrumental in getting Tampa Bay its second Super Bowl trophy, but he's also a huge reason why the Bucs have stayed successful. If you couple that with his impressive ability to always bring back in-house free agents like Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Baker Mayfield and Lavonte David, this extension makes every bit of sense.

Head coach Todd Bowles: B-

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles gives a press conference after mini camp at AdventHealth Training Center. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

There's plenty to like about Todd Bowles, and plenty of reason why he was extended. The players love him, he's won the NFC South three years in a row (with a playoff game victory on that resume) and he's the third-winningest coach in franchise history. Compared to where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were a few years ago, he's been a marked improvement, and if he were to be fired, there wouldn't be many better options out there to lead this Buccaneers team. It's hard to let go of consistent success like this, so in that regard, his extension was a good thing.

That being said, we gave it a B- because there are some concerns still floating among his tenure. Bowles has seen the Buccaneers dig an early hole in both of his last two seasons, starting 4-7 in 2023 and 4-6 in 2024, and he's never outright won the NFC South, relying on the team's last games of the season to scrape by into the playoffs. And speaking of playoffs, he's 1-3 there, with two of those losses creating first-round exits. His game management has rightfully been criticized over his tenure, and his defenses haven't quite lived up to the bill of his scheme acumen.

That all being said, Bowles brought in Zach Beistline from the Jacksonville Jaguars to be their director of football research and help Bowles with clock management, and a perceived "eureka" moment he talked about at the NFL owners meeting means that he could be making strides to change his defense up, too. Bowles is clearly making strides in an attempt to improve his faults, which is a good sign — and if he can't break through his playoff struggles, he can easily be fired, as most NFL coaches don't see the end of their contracts in that case.

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