Report: Team Glazer Called John Harbaugh’s People But Didn’t Like The Response
January 8th, 2026
“Thank you, Joel for having my back. And I promise, I won’t re-sign Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.”
Intrigue! Drama! Suspense! That’s what makes the NFL a 365-day ritual.
Per NFL insider Benjamin Allbright, who is based out of Denver, it seems Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht may have indirectly saved Todd Bowles’ job.
However, the timeline is a bit shaky.
So how did Licht indirectly save Bowles? Before Joe spills the beans, no one really knows the finite timeline that goes on with team moves behind the scenes. On face value, if the following information is accurate, it paints a picture of intrigue and suspense at One Buc Palace.
To set the scene, after Super Bowl-winning coach John Harbaugh was fired by the Crows on Tuesday, multiple reports coming from Harbaugh’s representatives noted that more teams reached out to gauge Harbaugh’s interest than there were NFL head coach openings.
That led a lot of Bucs fans to assume the Bucs were one of those teams.
Allbright appeared on a podcast that appears to be based out of Washington, or is at least a Commandos-centric pod. There, he said Team Glazer did in fact reach out to Harbaugh’s people but the call didn’t last long as Team Glazer did not like what they heard.
Per Allbright (at the 17:30 mark), Harbaugh prefers to bring in his own hand-picked general manager wherever he lands. That would make him, for all intents and purposes, the de facto general manager of his new team.
Joe gets that. He has the leverage to demand that. More power to him.
However, that allegedly turned off Team Glazer, per Allbright, as Licht is entrenched as the Bucs’ general manager.
“Now, I’ll say this: Tampa called about Harbaugh, and they were told that Harbaugh kind of wants his own GM,” Allbright said. “And so, that kind of nixed that, because they’re keeping Jason Licht.”
Where this gets a little shaky is, Bucs coach Todd Bowles is on record he had his papal audience with Team Glazer on Tuesday. Word broke of Harbaugh’s dismissal late Tuesday afternoon.
So, unless Team Glazer knew well before most of America that Harbaugh was an ex-Crows coach (entirely possible), this timeline seems off.
Joe has to wonder when Tuesday did Team Glazer sit down with Bowles?
(Hat tip: @stuckwithgreen.)
January 8th, 2026 at 7:06 am
Something doesn’t seem right. At the very least several coaches should have been sent packing even if Bowles keeps his job.
January 8th, 2026 at 7:07 am
It’s possible that the meeting with Bowles was Tuesday and ended without a commitment. Then after they talk to Harbaugh and decide it’s a non-starter they inform Todd he has one more year.
I’ve interviewed over 100 people in my time. I can count on one hand how many times that person left knowing they had the job.
January 8th, 2026 at 7:07 am
Jason Licht does nothing to improve this team. I don’t understand why people think he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread.
January 8th, 2026 at 7:12 am
Such a convenient way to explain not making a move and sticking with Todd ‘the toilet’ Bowles. A little TOO convenient if you ask me.
January 8th, 2026 at 7:13 am
The Glazers are Bunglers!!!
Quite frankly, they should address the Fans and the Media about THEIR decision!!!
This is Unacceptable!!!
I get it, it is just a game, but this Bungling at its best of worst depending on how you feel!!!
January 8th, 2026 at 7:13 am
Jason licht has done nothing lol. Once this team stops acting like he is a god, they will be better off
January 8th, 2026 at 7:13 am
Lmao!
I keep saying it, the Bucs job isnt attractive. The roster is average at best and the GM hasnt drafted well recently. Is that’s Bowles fault? Maybe, but it’s Lichts fault too.
Bowles needs to do the Bucs a solid next season and LOSE, and since hes a loser and his hand pick QB is a loser, the Bucs will get that top 10 pick to start over in 2027.
Who is the HC that wants to risk their career on this roster?
January 8th, 2026 at 7:19 am
Bucnbeers Says:
January 8th, 2026 at 7:07 am
“Jason Licht does nothing to improve this team. I don’t understand why people think he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread.”
Remove the blinders and you will know how wrong you are.
January 8th, 2026 at 7:19 am
Liam Coen wanted to pick his own GM
The Jags fired their GM, and gave in to Coen demands
The Glazers don’t cave in to demands made by a potential HC
And they certainly don’t kneel to fans demands
It gotta be the Glazers way, or the highway
The Glazers are not giving a HC that much control of the team
And l don’t blame them
January 8th, 2026 at 7:20 am
Speaking to your timeliness question, the covert Glazers very could have given Bowles a shakey retainer and spoken to Harbaugh afterwards. They may have several irons in the fire and just waiting for one to get hot. Meanwhile, Bowles unwittingly is a pawn in their future coach’s salary negotiations. This nugget gives me hope. Im still in the first stage of death, Denial, and this gives me hope for Lefluer or Tomlim. Slim at best, but possible
January 8th, 2026 at 7:23 am
I don’t want to give up Jason Licht for any HC. He has been here for a long time and has brought us a Super Bowl, Arians, Brady, Evans, Godwin, Vea, Wirfs, JPP, Suh, Winfield, Gronk, Mayfield and the list goes on. Go Jadon Licht and Go Bucs!! We need another HC though. Jon Gruden for HC??
January 8th, 2026 at 7:25 am
So it seems they made inquiries after they met with Bowles. That says to me his safety is only contingent on their not finding someone better pop up; he just doesn’t realize it.
What if Pittsburgh loses and Mike Nolen becomes available?
They are keeping their options open.
January 8th, 2026 at 7:25 am
Bringing in your own GM simply means you are less likely to be fired when you should be.
January 8th, 2026 at 7:27 am
This may or may not be true. Rumors suck as news.
January 8th, 2026 at 7:27 am
They pass on Harbaugh for Licht!!! I wouldn’t pass on a ham sandwich for Licht. Jason must have some funky Glazer family nudes pictures stashed away with his “receipts.” Which btw lil hurt Jason never seemed to cash in oni, but he did get suckered into Teddy as viable NFL backup. Fools, passing on Carhartt for Zaire’s Tuff Skins….and those Tuff Skins been long wore out. To bad Jason didn’t save that receipt so you can return that junk
January 8th, 2026 at 7:31 am
I was probably the #1 supporter of Licht until this mess.
Sticking will Bowles shows Licht’s commitment to mediocrity. If he truly was focused on winning, Bowles would be gone. Now we are facing another wasted season.
Now, he’s tied to his losing HC and both jobs are lost at the end of next year.
January 8th, 2026 at 7:31 am
Let’s see the Bucs make a NFC C without Brady. Brady was the factor in our SB.
Licht and Bowles should be tied together now, now protecting Licht anymore. Roll with another year of mediocrity and both are gone.
January 8th, 2026 at 7:35 am
They should’ve sent Jason packing
January 8th, 2026 at 7:40 am
I think the Glazers reached out to Harbaugh, IF that’s fact, to say to the fans we did look at other options but nonetheless, Harbaugh just doesn’t have the record that a B Arians had and when you take a good look at Harbaugh, he went to a Super Bowl in his 5th year and for the next 12 years or so nothing plus a $17 million dollar contract a year
January 8th, 2026 at 7:41 am
Licht has more job security than a tenured college professor. The Glazers’ are scared of him for some reason.
January 8th, 2026 at 7:41 am
@davenport… licht is not to blame for staying with Bowles this has come from the glazers it has already been said thatbineof the owners didn’t want to fire Bowles…
January 8th, 2026 at 7:42 am
And funny how the tide turned…. Most of you were on here praising licht after the first month when emeka was lighting it up and the team was 6-2
January 8th, 2026 at 7:44 am
If Bowles is back my interest on the Bucs will be the lowest in 40 years I’ve been here. Please provide one good reason why Bowles deserves to keep his job? He has lost this team and a bunch of fans in the process.
January 8th, 2026 at 7:44 am
If bucs have another below .500 season with Bowles, then both Licht and Bowles should be fired.
January 8th, 2026 at 7:44 am
The Calamity Bucs.
January 8th, 2026 at 7:44 am
I’m not happy either that Bowles was kept but you are either a fan or not… Harbaugh is great but what has he exactly won in the last 10 years? It is what it is, wh are stuck with Bowles… if you are a fan you will cheer on the Buccs!!
Fire the cannons!
January 8th, 2026 at 7:46 am
So Go Jags!!!!
January 8th, 2026 at 7:49 am
@Bobby, you sure are nostalgic. Your reason for liking Licht include: “he’s been here a long time”-that has to be the most fallacious logic since the invention of language, a list of 11 names over a 12 year career – 3 of which Im sure were all BA (BA, Suh, JPP), one who was the work of Spytek and the goat himself (Brady. Watch Raise the Flags), and a SB ring- that horse was led to water by BA and Brady, he just drank. Not to mention how you list a huge resigning miscalculation in the diminutive AWJ, who has done nothing since getting paid TWO seasons ago and doesn’t even seem to help the secondary/rookies set up for plays. I guess if the engine won’t start (Licht) and the tires are flat (Bowles), the car can’t roll so the only problem must be the tires.
Tbh, with your aversion to change, I’m surprised you aren’t lobbying for Bowles as well, you seem to share his mindset and retro NFL approach (Gruden).
January 8th, 2026 at 7:55 am
Harbaugh’s demand to bring in his on GM is a deal bracker. He’s been a coach a long time with only one Super Bowl to his name and a team with lots of talent.
He was fired. The owners want more Super Bowl wins and Harbaugh wasn’t cutting it.
The Bucs have a very good GM and a team that was admittedly a Super Bowl contender.
Injuries trained wreaked the Bucs season, along with some poor coaching from Grazzard, some defensive coaches and Todd Bowles reluctance to delegate. A new DC will likely be brought in per the Glazers. My thoughts are he wasn’t given a choice. Take it or leave.
Finally, the Glazers are very rich and successful. Billionaires don’t fall out of trees, they’re very few of them in the world.
2026 will be a make or break year for the Bucs. Bowles will be coaching for his life/job
January 8th, 2026 at 8:02 am
I would have fired Jason Licht anyways.. what has he done since Brady era ? Nothing.. overpay Zyon I’m bored McCollum. Sees we’re struggling with MLB during the season does make a trade because he values his “ picks more “ well those picks turn out to be kj Britt and SVD who sucks. Doesn’t trade for a pass rusher even though we sucked at getting to the QB..
He lucked out Brady. Had Brady not come here Licht would have been fired years ago.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:06 am
Licht needs to prove he can fix the pass rush, he fails again this year then he and arose are given the boot.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:07 am
I think another poster said it right… Glazers are giving all 3 -Licht Bowles and Baker one more season to right it. If not all 3 are gone.
Sucks for fans but I can see this logic. They don’t want to be in a position of finding a coach with what might be a liability at GM. So just give it one more year and then flush them all of needed. Also remember in the NFL sunk costs don’t count…because mediocrity gets rewarded with draft picks.
It’s is crazy how often they fire there soccer coach for Manchester
January 8th, 2026 at 8:08 am
Fans have been wanting a change in Baltimore for a while so there’s that to consider too.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:11 am
Doubt ticket prices will increase next season.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:13 am
They might have to make tickets free next year. Blackout seasons all over again. That or Tampa games will all be away games..
January 8th, 2026 at 8:14 am
Loser franchise is gonna loser franchise.
Brady brought in Gronk. Dumbest fans in the NFL.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:15 am
I think more than one team contacted Harbaugh’s ppl that did NOT have a HC position open. It is reasonable to believe one or more teams that are seeking a HC, such as the Browns, Cards, Titans, etc, knew they either did not want to pay what it would take or, just like with the Bucs, knew Harbaugh would want to hand pick his GM.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:19 am
Licht didn’t bring a super bowl Brady did.He’s done nothing prior or after Brady left. He can’t even build a defense! The talent on defense are backups on other teams with maybe the exception of Vita.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:21 am
Something to consider, Tomlin loses first round, and he’s another guy that could be fired and available. In 1-week this could get very interesting.
Would have loved the hypothetical if we were willing to move on from Licht, how serious was Harbaugh’s consideration into Tampa? He’s not taking interviews this week, so my guess is this was a very soft inquiry.
When all this talk about Bowles getting fired was on the table, I say take Licht as well. I’m so over Licht, he’s already been involved in 3 head coaching changes, most GMs never see a 3rd, let alone a 4th. I think he’s incredibly overrated as a GM and there’s a lot of goodness that fell into his lap. He’s a .500 GM at best and it’s because of his draft picks why this team is where it’s at currently.
I’ll never quite understand his bragging about record contracts when he signed Wirfs and Winfield. That doesn’t seem like good negotiations, it just seems dumb.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:21 am
That’s how stupid the Glazers are. Harbaugh would have meant upgrades at HC AND GM. And if he brought Monken with him we have a third upgrade.
I’ll say it again. Those born into wealth, especially enough wealth to own an NFL franchise, can afford to be stupid.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:22 am
Harbaugh misses Ozzie Newsome.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:25 am
As I suspected, the Glazer boys know nothing about football, or the pulse of the fans. They think Jason Licht walks on water. Can Jason stop the free fall of this team? It will be interesting, and hopefully, fun to see.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:27 am
I agree that defensively this is not an attractive roster but offensively it damn sure is. When healthy this offensive line is top 5 in the league. Same for our WR corp. Bucky is electric and say what you want about Baker but statistically he has been a top 10 quarterback over his last 3 seasons.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:31 am
Baltimore hasn’t had a good run for while either. They needed a change. The Glazers had an olive branch moment and decided against it. Agree with a few others, give it another season. IF no SB in 2027; Bowles, Licht, and others may be gone and then a rebuild will happen along with strong draft picks.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:34 am
Sure would be great if JBF would actually post a Jason Licht Confidence Poll to show where fans actually stand on the issue.
If JBF refuses to do a Jason Licht Confidence Poll that raises a much bigger question-What exactly is JBF afraid of?
January 8th, 2026 at 8:39 am
Bye Jason… he’s been decent but not Harbaugh good
January 8th, 2026 at 8:40 am
I wouldn’t trade Licht for Harbaugh, especially after, if he did make that a requirement, such an arrogant display of hierarchy. Licht does draft good talent, it’s been more offense than defense because of how the draft has shaken out. I do think there has been a serious lack of talent to start and back up here. The coaching has been just been horrible because it shows on the field, it’s hit every phase of this team. Maybe it was a domino effect. IF, and that’s a big if, Bowles can hire guys that will help this team I don’t have a problem with him staying, but the problems need to be fixed, no more BS after the fact loss speech. One of the bigger questions I have is this: Is the team thinking that after the initial disappointment that is rampant about Bowles being retained is over, are they banking on the entire fan base forgetting about it and moving on to being fans again? I don’t need to win every game to be a fan, have supported since the beginning but I can find better ways to spend my time than watching this team do what they did after the bye, which is roll over. All the fans here deserve better than that and that has been what I’ve read from just about everyone here. It embarrasses us as fans and a community and we don’t like it Glazers. Players. Coach’s.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:40 am
Note to the Glazers, At the end of every season you look at the team and see if it is getting better or worse, is it better?
January 8th, 2026 at 8:40 am
“Our philosophy is going to be to build through the draft. That’s where we find our stars. That’s where we find the next generation. But also in the short term and long term we’re going to supplement our roster through free agency. But we’re going to look for value. We’re going to spend wisely.” – Jason Licht, 2014, First Press Conference as Bucs GM.
Jason Licht came in as a rookie GM, and there were growing pains. Luvie Smith had full control over most of the draft picks during his tenure, so Licht didn’t have a lot of say in things. He did manage to convince Smith to draft a coulple specific players…like Mike Evans in 2014. Lovie Smith was big on bringing in people of the same skincolor. He wasn’t bigoted, he just wanted to provide opportunities. Nothing wrong with that desire, but it should not cause bad choices.
If Mike Evans had been white, Smith would probably not have allowed the Bucs to draft him.
Next came Dirk Koetter. The Glazers started to gradually trust Jason’s choices during Koetter’s run. Licht was given more say in draft picks…and while he still had to fullfil the vision of the coach, he managed to manipulate more picks in his favor…enough that the Glazers finally fully trusted him on all matters.
When Koetter was done, Jason went to the Glazers with a plan and they bought in. Bruce Arians agreed to become head coach on the condition that he could make Todd Bowles his heir. It was a huge hire, and in the long run it was worth it.
But let’s look at Jason Lict’s picks. First during the Lovie Smith years, he Mike Evans. Smith decides all the other picks that year. Understandable. He was the new head coach.
Then, in Licht’s second year, he focused on his specialty: offensive line. This was an easy sell to Smith, because Lovie Smith got the QB he wanted (Winston) and Licht convinced him that they needed to protect him. So…Jason Lict drafted Donovan Smith and Ali Marpet. That year, only one pick went to defense. We don’t know who had the influnce in that. Smith was a defensive head coach,but he also got the QB he wanted, so it made sense to get him weapons.
It’s important to not here that Jason was only in his second year as GM in 2015…and just like players, he was developing. His OL picks were the only good ones that year, unless you add in Kwon Alexander.
In 2016, Lovie Smith was fired and Dirk Koetter was promoted to HC. Dirk had his own ideas, which were very different from Smiths. At this point the Glazers still didn’t fully trust Jason Licht. They made the HC choice out of fear: it looked like Koetter would be hired as a HC elsewhere and they felt keeping him was important for the development of Winston.
In his first year (2016), Dirk had full control of the draft. The result? A wasted draft. We don’t know how much influence Jason Licht had during that draft. I think he was at fault for drafting Robert Aguayo in round 3, but it’s possible that isn’t the case. Koetter could have wanted him too.
It was a draft filled with mistakes. And I believe it was because of this that Jason Licht started whispering in the ears of the Glazers that they needed to trust him more. Head coaches were short term, and the team needed long term talent.
Still, in 2017, the policy was to give Kotter what he wanted. OJ Howard seemed like a good pick, but ended up being injury prone. Chris Godwin was drafted. Kendall Beckwith (who was a great pick that ended up having some sort of medical issue forcing retirement). In round 7 they drafted a quality backup NT.
Then came 2018.
It was a year that started to turn things around. Koetter was still head coach, but somehow, Jason Licht managed to convince the Glazers to trust him more than the head coach. This was the draft where Jason started to truly have a say in things. The Glazers backed him fully, and the draft result was… phenomenal.
Vita Vea. Carlton Davis. Alex Cappa. Ronald Jones (who was under used because Koetter was a passing game OC) but eventually had almost 1,000 yards in 14 games (his 3rd year). In this draft, Licht showed that he was improving his picks…still not great, but considering teams are lucky to hit on half their picks, he was getting much better.
In 2019, Jason approached the Glazers with an outlandish plan…and somehow managed to sell the Glazers on it. Get one of the best coaches and go all in. The result? The stars aligned. Bruce Arians was hired.
This was also the last time the defense got a lot of attention in the draft (until 2024). We had 8 picks. Jason and Bruce hit on 5 picks, to verying degrees. Jamal Dean was the best pick…and the only one still on the team…it is 6 drafts later now…so understandable. This could be considered Jason’s coming out party.
He treated Bruce like a rock star. Licht played as big a role in the culture change as Arians did that year.
And he fulfilled his plan to go all in. Wirfs and Winfield were drafted, but it was his work in the trade market and free agency that helped build his Super Bowl-winning roster.
The acquisitions of players like Jason Pierre-Paul, Shaq Barrett, Leonard Fournette, Rob Gronkowski, Antonio Brown, Ndamukong Suh, and Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady were critical in Tampa Bay’s success, as all played big roles on the Super Bowl-winning team…and Jason Licht made all of that happen. His picks of Mike Evans, Vita Vea, Carlton Davis III, Sean Murphy-Bunting, Devin White, Tristan Wirfs, Antoine Winfield Jr., and Chris Godwin all played key roles in the Superbowl. It wasn’t just Brady.
In 2021, he managed to keep the band together. The result was 13 wins.
Notable draft selections such as Luke Goedeke, Rachaad White, Cade Otton, Calijah Kancey, Cody Mauch, Yaya Diaby, Graham Barton, Jalen McMillan, Bucky Irving, and Emeka Egbuka have further reinforced his reputation for identifying long-term starters and Pro Bowl-caliber talent. Under Licht’s leadership, Tampa Bay became the only NFC team to reach the postseason in each of the 2020 through 2024 seasons, a stretch highlighted by four consecutive NFC South titles from 2021 to 2024. His roster-building approach and ability to retain core veterans while developing younger players have been credited as central to the franchise’s sustained success.
So what has Jason Licht done?
There’s your answer.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:40 am
Those who say Baker is a loser have probably not won anything in their lives. Except maybe Bingo.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:41 am
I said this would be the case last night. or a day before?
January 8th, 2026 at 8:42 am
@Joe
Please approve my rather long post on the history of Jason Licht.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:43 am
If the report is true and the Bucs really did reach out to the Harbaugh camp, if Bowles had any pride or self respect he would resign
January 8th, 2026 at 8:44 am
Agreed with Zoo
Let’s get Tomlin if he is available Monday!!
January 8th, 2026 at 8:45 am
@SteveK it’s Bowles that really wants these larger players at edge. There was an article about it last season from what I remember. Licht gives Bowles what he wants there. Shouldn’t be a surprise they are worse in dropping into coverage and bending around the edge
January 8th, 2026 at 8:48 am
Oh sure, why be like the Ravens – a tough, extremely hardnosed, intimidating football team, with size. F that, i’d rather keep picking choir boys that like to finish 8-9 every year that plays SOFT with zero emotion. I prefer my linebackers to be undersized and being completely out of position in coverage. That BUC BALL BABY. Sign Licht to a lifetime contract now
January 8th, 2026 at 8:50 am
One thing is for sure is that no matter where Harbough ends up that team will be more successful than this team run by dumb and dumber.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:50 am
The new problem now with keeping bowles is getting good coordinators and assistants. They will all be hand me down failures from other teams or college wild cards. So take a garbage head coach with average at best coordinators and throw in the fact that the locker room is lost and you have a great outlook already for next year. Plus he cant bank on a garbage division forever. 7 wins is the ceiling
January 8th, 2026 at 8:52 am
Albright has gotten several stories correct, however he’s missed big time on several conspiracy theories, re: chargers moving out of LA by ‘25.
I buy this tho. Sounds like they wanted someone proven before tossing Todd out.
Not sure JH was the long term answer anyway.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:52 am
Mhystc Says:
January 8th, 2026 at 8:02 am
“I would have fired Jason Licht anyways.. what has he done since Brady era ? Nothing..”
🏈 Solved the cap issues that game as a result of the Arians
Brady era
🏈 Rebuilt the offensive line
🏈 Brought in Luke Goedeke, Rachaad White, Cade Otton, Calijah Kancey, Cody Mauch, Yaya Diaby, Graham Barton, Jalen McMillan, Bucky Irving, and Emeka Egbuka
I realize everyone wants to blame and point fingers, but Jason Licht is one of the best.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:54 am
Glazers are playing three dimensional chess. Bringing back Bowles should guarantee the number one pick next year. Arch Manning to the Bucs.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:56 am
For a moment let us forget all Jason Lichts’ many failures in the draft.
Do you really think that if Jason Licht went to the Glazers and said listen guys ” I really like Todd, but we have to move on to get better” that the Glazers would not make a change rather quickly?
So if you really want to blame someone for Todd still being the HC-Blame Jason
January 8th, 2026 at 8:56 am
Coburn,
Thanks for the reply, I’ll look into that article. I am just fed up with the toothless edge rush. It must change this year or we are looking at continued mediocrity.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:56 am
Hodad Says
“Glazers are playing three dimensional chess. Bringing back Bowles should guarantee the number one pick next year. Arch Manning to the Bucs.”
That’s a silver lining I can get behind 😉
January 8th, 2026 at 8:57 am
Todd Bruce Arians probably played a role in their decision.
January 8th, 2026 at 8:58 am
Hodad- I would be crying tears of joy if that happened. For all the crap Arch has gotten the first half of the season, he has looked incredible with by far the most upside of anyone, and has lived up to the hype the last half of the season.
January 8th, 2026 at 9:04 am
Buccaneer Bonzai – Enjoyed reading your long comment on Jason. It sure sounds like Jason has done well. Glazers made the right decision. Harbaugh was not the answer. We have next season and go from there. Go Bucs!
January 8th, 2026 at 9:05 am
This is a list of d-line draft picks since 2018:
Vita Vea(12th pick)
2019 Anthony Nelson 107, Terry Becker 215
2020 Khalil Davis 194
2021 Joe Tyron 32
2022 Logan Hall 33
2023 Kancey 19, Yaya 82, Jose Ramirez 196
2024 Braswell 57
2025 David Walker 121, Elijah Roberts 157
We have gotten next to nothing from the 21-24 first and second round players.
This is a lot of missed opportunities. Can Coach not develop talent? Or
Can they not judge the talent (GM)
Maybe Harbaugh and new GM can do better.
January 8th, 2026 at 9:06 am
The timeline could be correct, if the Glazers did like what they heard, they would have just called Todd back and said they changed their mind and fired him….. Promises are broken all the time in this industry. Cannot blame Harbaugh for wanting more control, if he gets it from a club, awesome and he probably will get picked up by someone. What I would like to know is if he will take Todd Monken with him or is Monken interviewing for his own HC job. Also, I am guessing that Harbaugh lost a power battle with Lamar Jackson who wanted Monken launched. It will be interesting if the Ravens suddenly go in the tank. Harbaugh supposedly “lost” the locker room, I am guessing that came from Lamar’s agent and ownership looking to justify launching Harbaugh.
January 8th, 2026 at 9:08 am
I think people are forgetting the shape we were in before Jason Licht, and how effin’ far we’ve come since he was hired as GM.
First ever draft pick is going to be an HOFer.
Before him, I remember at one point our OL having a quarter billion in contract dollars dedicated to it.
Has had to reset this team with 4 different HCs
Reached the NFL pinnacle of becoming an SB champ.
Obviously hasn’t hit on every pick, but be real NOBODY does
People frown at the “draft high character guys”, but when’s the last time you saw a Buc on a police blotter? Or getting the wrong type of attention drawn to this franchise?
Your demeanor as a man doesn’t determine who you are on the football field, you can be a POS person and still be average at football like Vonteze Burficit. You can preach sermons like Reggie White and be an absolute animal on Gameday.
The notion that “nice” guys = “not nice enough football players” is stupid and just used as an off explanation that has eff all to do with on-field performance to talk weird about a GM that has an SB roster being built on his resume.
A lot of fans will see a player miss a tackle, blow a block, or assignment and the first thing they start crowing about is coaching. Bro, what!? 😂 there’s a player, jersey numbers, instant replay paired with enough football know-how to say “damn that rep sucked because #27 bit inside leverage and got turned outside and got beat” but no, it’s coaching.
But then again, outrage culture is a thing
January 8th, 2026 at 9:20 am
Ok Jason or his agent calling yourself Buccaneer Bonzai on this site fools no-one. So tired of hearing about winning division titles when we were 9-8 one year and 8-9 another.
You brag about Cade Otten , Kancey etc. as Pro Bowl caliber players. That is hysterical. As to being reliable starters well on a 7-9 team lots of mediocre players can start for that team. That is why you lose 7 out of the last 9 games. Bringing up a long misleading history does not change the fact that this team has regressed over the past few years. Keep on drinking the Kool-Aid as the ship slips below the water. Licht is gone as soon as that ridiculous extension runs out if not sooner.
January 8th, 2026 at 9:21 am
Get your 2027 Draft Guides ready we will be in contention for the #1 overall pick with this lame duck head coach even if changes to the staff are made what decent coordinators will want to come here? Nobody will want the job. This is the dumbest move by the glazers possibly of all time
January 8th, 2026 at 9:23 am
Bryan. Yep I sat draft Carr from ND in the first round in 2027.
January 8th, 2026 at 9:23 am
That explains it. I get the feeling that if Buffalo loses Harbaugh goes to Buffalo.
January 8th, 2026 at 9:24 am
Its either bowels or tens of thousands of fans. Somebody’s leaving
January 8th, 2026 at 9:25 am
I truly see this team winning 6 games next year. The Bucs won what 5 games in the last minute? They could very easily be 4-13. If they played like they did at the end of the year I see less than 4 wins.
January 8th, 2026 at 9:29 am
I think Jason Licht has done a good job over the years but at this point just freaking clean house. Nothing will change for the better if Todd is still there. I would take John Harbaugh and everything that comes with it if that means getting rid of Todd Bowles and Jason Licht be it.
January 8th, 2026 at 9:29 am
Well if this story is true seems to me Harbaugh will end up with the Falcons and that sucks for us. I think they’re the only team with a GM opening at this point. Sorry if anyone already said this.
January 8th, 2026 at 9:31 am
Thank you Buccaneer Banzai! Terrific post on Jason Licht and the politics behind the scene.
And thanks for the reminder about Lovie Smith’s negative effect on the Bucs. Next to him Todd looks like the second coming of Vince Lombardi.
I can offer a first hand story on Lovie Smith:
My wife and I were still season ticket holders in Lovie’s first year. All of us season ticket holders were invited to One Buc Place for a tour and lunch in the team cafeteria.
While we were in the cafeteria Lovie showed up, looked around and asked what was going on. When someone told him it was a tour for Season Ticket Holders, Lovie turned around and almost sprinted out of the room!
Which pretty much summed up the whole Lovie Smith Experience…!
January 8th, 2026 at 9:32 am
Water under the bridge at this point. The Glazers decided to keep Licht , so it looks like Bowles remained HC. Harbaugh is a good coach but hasn’t gotten to the SB in 11 years. Better than Bowles, but not an elite coach at this late time in his career.
Just hope that the Bucs get a better OC and a new DC with lots of experience. Hopefully Licht realizes how he has screwed up the defense with bad picks and not seriously addressing the edge rush. IMHO the Bucs need
to go back to a 4-3 basic set and get two big serious DEs.
January 8th, 2026 at 9:38 am
Well then they screwed up twice.
January 8th, 2026 at 9:40 am
4evr
You’re right about the 4-3, but recasted now assured that won’t happen.
This thing is about to turn into a bigger mess. Mark my words.
January 8th, 2026 at 9:53 am
Grizz just got fired
January 8th, 2026 at 9:54 am
Not surprised by the response. That is a new trend with HC. They get to pick or bring in someone they want to be the GM. Imo I think it would have been hard to attract a new HC to Tampa to work with Jason Licht and BA on the side. With Bowles coming back and the way this pass season went you have to ask why Jason Licht was getting a pass. I think his job as well as Bowles Job is on the line in 2026. They have there work cut out for them and they have to hit on FA and Draft to be successful imo.
January 8th, 2026 at 9:55 am
I’m curious to see where ever Harbough lands does he in fact bring in his chosen gm or was that just a polite way of saying thanks but no thanks to the Glazers. Also curious to know if the Glazers reached out to any other potential head coaches before deciding to stick with Bowels
January 8th, 2026 at 9:57 am
Harbaugh has had the NFL’s golden child at QB, 2 x MVP, 3 x All Pro, for the last 7 years, a top 10 (outside of 2021 and 2025) defense and a top 10 run offense and has 1 less SB win then the Bucs to show for it in that period. And HE is your savior?
January 8th, 2026 at 10:01 am
I think when we talk about our GM we have to realize that it is a mixed bag.
He has had several draft picks that we like and that have performed very well. But let’s be honest if any one of us played pretend to GM and just looked at best player available based on all the draft gurus at the time or pick him up and drafted that player we probably would have picked a bunch of really good players as well. And possibly even better players than Jason because we would be picking players that seem to be a better fit for what most experts thought we would need.
Licht has a tendency of a couple of common things he does in the draft that I think handcuffs performance. One is he often tends to double down at a given position. He is done it a few times at cornerback. And rather than picking an obvious player that would benefit us at a position he’s acts and take somebody we weren’t thinking would be the best option at that point and then take some small school guy to lay around who has good measurables thinking that he could turn into a star.
If you look at our offensive lineman I think Cody Mauch and Marpet while both good line men likely could have been drafted around later given their small school profiles.
Graham Barton picked a 20 when there were other centers of equal or better talent who played center in college that could have been picked up later by either trading down or getting somebody in the second round. A great GM would have traded up for Verse and then picked up a center in round 2 who ended up being drafted by the Steelers and has been better than Barton.
The next two flaws that he has are that one he overvalues his draft picks. Perfect example was this season it was very clear we had deficiencies and inside linebacker. As much as I love David he had lost a step this year and was a bit of a liability in past coverage. Dennis was not performing at the level they had hoped he would based on a small sample size in his first two seasons. Miami was actively tanking before the trade deadline. Jordan Brooks who looks like a perfect linebacker for our team who is leading the league in tackles and is known for great technique and able to cover likely could have been picked up for a third or even 4th round pick based on Phillips having gone for a third round. Quite possibly a move like that may have prevented one of our losses down the stretch and may have been the difference between us having a playoff game or not given how badly we covered the middle of the field especially down the stretch.
Other flaw that I see is that he takes off too many players off his draft board that he does not think that the mold of a Buccaneer man. now I do agree that you should perhaps take people off your board that have had clear red flags either problems with the law or have been found to have done things in their college past that are concerning. And to think about it that would have precluded us ever drafting Jameis Winston. However he has taken that policy too far and by doing so his drafted a bunch of players who are nice guys but not enough guys with Edge and Dawg in them. This showed up again in the second half of the season as the team seem to be floundering and everybody seemed quite passive like their head coach on the sideline. I think it’s okay if there is an unbelievable talent out there who may have some minor character concerns to still take that risk. Perfect example is Pierce who played this year for Atlanta and as a rookie had more than 10 sacks and is likely going to be a problem for us for many years. He was available when we drafted but we went for the character guy in a Egbuka who while he will likely be a good pick for us in the long term is a bit easier to find either in the draft or free agency then a stud pass rusher.
The last thing I want to mention is it is hard to completely evaluate his draft picks because a lot of them may have been made not necessarily only by his own decisions but by trying to fill the wants of his head coach for the scheme they have in place which as we see has not been a very good one on defense. We also don’t know if certain players might have developed very differently had we had a better coaching staff.
I think those who said it higher up in this thread that this will be the year that determines the future of not only our head coach but also our GM and quarterback. We do not have an easy schedule despite it being not the first place schedule. If we do not have a winning record or go back to the playoffs, then I could see both Jason and Todd being shown the door and depending on how he plays, Baker not being signed to an extension. We would like to end up with an early draft pick and good cap situation which would allow for hiring of a quality head coach and new GM to come in without any situation precluding them from getting the quarterback they want and drafting the team around them that they felt they need.
January 8th, 2026 at 10:05 am
What are the Bucs supposed to do if the “good” HCs dont want to join the organization?
There isnt a foundation to build on here. Too many old, injury prone players at key positions on offense and not enough of anything on defense. ST is atrocious.
Theres nothing here. The Bucs need a high draft picks so a new HC can actually do what he wants to do and not be weighed down by bloated contracts for underperforming players.
Bucs have to lose before they win.
January 8th, 2026 at 10:09 am
What are the Bucs supposed to do if the “good” HCs dont want to join the organization?
There isnt a foundation to build on here. Too many old, injury prone players at key positions on offense and not enough of anything on defense. ST is atrocious.
Theres nothing here. The Bucs need a high draft picks so a new HC can actually do what he wants to do and not be weighed down by bloated contracts for underperforming players.
Bucs have to lose before they win.
January 8th, 2026 at 10:09 am
As far as Bowles returning, I’m praying that this is mis information kinda like Liam Coen saying he was coming back last season and then not. Of course in Coen’s situation that was a bad thing. It would be a good thing if Bowles is set free. The Bucs need new blood leading this team.
January 8th, 2026 at 10:09 am
What are the Bucs supposed to do if the “good” HCs dont want to join the organization?
There isnt a foundation to build on here.
Too many old, injury prone players at key positions on offense and not enough of anything on defense. ST is atrocious.
Theres no much here. The Bucs need a high draft picks so a new HC can actually do what he wants to do and not be weighed down by bloated contracts for underperforming players.
Bucs have to lose before they win.
January 8th, 2026 at 10:12 am
Buccaneer Bonzai Says:
January 8th, 2026 at 8:42 am
@Joe
Please approve my rather long post on the history of Jason Licht.
I was happy to scroll past your puff piece that I’m sure had no mention of him standing pat at the trade deadline, drafting Braswell in the 2nd rd, drafting a kicker in the 2nd, signing Randy Gregory, signing Reddick, Trask in the 2nd, and many more blunders. The dude is mediocre.
January 8th, 2026 at 10:28 am
Well atleast they tried. Glazers score a point
January 8th, 2026 at 10:46 am
There is luck involved in sport – and the NFL Draft is a perfect example. Jason hits better than many of the GMs do.
January 8th, 2026 at 10:59 am
bet he ends up in atlanta, Bucs going to be last in the division
January 8th, 2026 at 11:00 am
Canabuc TMTR lol who do you think you are?
January 8th, 2026 at 11:05 am
We are going back to the dark days and i know ive been threw it and this is what it looks like . and the only weapon i have is not spending my money on this franchise gonna just wait it out and i know who cares but its gonna get bad .
January 8th, 2026 at 11:10 am
Bucs are dipping below mediocre and that all that should be said i cant belive the owners are good with that
January 8th, 2026 at 11:51 am
Good call by the Bucs. We don’t need another old time conservative defensive coach who is on the tail end of his career. Harbaugh is not the answer.
January 8th, 2026 at 1:02 pm
Those saying that Licht isn’t good are correct, he’s fantastic. His draft record, his record of bringing in free agents, his picks for coaches, his last two offensive coordinators are coaching playoff teams, the dude is excellent. Nobody’s perfect, but Jason Licht is the best GM in Tampa history… better than McKay, considerably better than Allen… infinitely better than Mark Dominik. He’s still top five in the league. He put together a top 3 offense in 2024 only to see the leader of that offense get raided… then he picked the wrong one… overall, he’s done very well. Bruce Arians… Liam Coen… his coaching hires have been good. Free agency and draft he has been top half of the league… easily.
January 8th, 2026 at 1:14 pm
Warren Brooks Lynch Says:
“Harbaugh misses Ozzie Newsome.”
– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –
BINGO! Ozzie was the best.
January 8th, 2026 at 1:31 pm
I’ve been saying it for weeks now. You’re not going to get a top coaching candidate with Licht. He cost us Coen and now Harbaugh (thankfully on that one)
Good coaches want their own guy. They also don’t want Licht who can’t hit on a top pick in 5 years and hasn’t hit on an FA since Brady was doing the signings.
January 8th, 2026 at 1:33 pm
@Lakeland,
I think the Jags GM was trash before Liam wanted another GM. I can’t remember hearing any Jags fans crying over losing their GM. Also, Shad Khan was desperate to get an offensive HC from the McVay tree.
January 8th, 2026 at 2:06 pm
Thanks for the shoutout, Joe! Go Bucs!
January 8th, 2026 at 2:20 pm
@Bee
Bowles needs to do the Bucs a solid next season and LOSE, and since hes a loser and his hand pick QB is a loser, the Bucs will get that top 10 pick to start over in 2027.
____
the one piece of good news the last few days Is that the glazers and everyone at onebuc do not care what the Trask brigade have to say. You all can post till your little fingers fall off
For now “Baker bois” still rule.
January 8th, 2026 at 2:38 pm
@Allen Loften, wtf does this have to do with anything. Also, these billionaires were handed their stack. Just a stupid comment.
January 8th, 2026 at 2:41 pm
@Bonsai, your history is completely revisionist. When there bad draft you claim the coach made all the picks, but good drafts were all Licht. I dont doubt that it has always been the coach. Licht is a pawn from both owners and coaches. A glorified scout
January 8th, 2026 at 2:44 pm
@Canabuc ✊🏼. Truth! And you don’t even en need to outline his fa/trade failures, outside of the BA era, to realize the guy is a good scout and limited GM.
January 8th, 2026 at 3:03 pm
They at down with Bowles after they got up from the toilet bowl. Then they got up and pooped on the fans
January 8th, 2026 at 3:14 pm
John Lynch is a better GM and Bill Belecheat would make a better one than Licht. I think too many fans here have become use to the less than mediocre that it teams have been thinking Licht’s that good. Can’t think of too many players outside of LVD Mike Evans maybe Chris Godwin and Tristan Wirfs who he’s drafted that have been great for this team. He’s ok but not all that
January 8th, 2026 at 3:15 pm
Some people really have homer blinders on with Licht and get confused why coaches don’t want to work with him and the media doesn’t respect him.
Licht was a proven loser before Brady and the team is reverting back to Licht’s decade of darkness ways as time passes.
People use a lot of revisionist history on Licht with the Arians hire.
Arians is proof Licht doesn’t know much about football. He promised the Glazers his outdated scheme could fix Jameis. It was the worst thing for him. Payton laughed at us for it. We went 7-9 with Arians. Then we went 7-6 with Brady until Arians was soft fired and Brady changed the scheme. Then he was hard fired.
Licht’s best 1st round pick in 5 years is WR4.
He’s doesn’t know a thing about X&Os, he day drunk chirps at fans on social media, he can’t hire a HC, he won’t sign FAs aside from his own players to silly contracts. He meddles with the coaches forcing Barton at center. There is not a single thing he does well. You can point to some good picks, but that’s because he’s been here forever with a lot of high draft picks.
January 8th, 2026 at 6:04 pm
So, earlier today the Dolphins fired McDaniels. I don’t personally like the guy, but he has Ivy League pedigree and he is an analytics, number cruncher. Could he possibly do better with Baker versus the disaster with Tua? Strange things are afoot, because I was sure the Dolphins would keep McDaniels.
The firing of Harbaugh was a total surprise, but in retrospect his record seems to be in decline in recent years. I can understand the Ravens wanting to try something different. Rumours and fantastical tales of the Glazers having talked to Harbaugh are just that unless it comes from a credible media outlet like SI, ESPN or NBC Sports.
If the Bucs leadership keep Bowles, it will give my another year where I can rant and rave about how mediocre of coach he is and how he is slowly destroying the Bucs. I’ll be doing that from Illinois as I am moving back North after 30 years in the land of sunshine and palm trees. Go Bucs. Go Canes. I am headed to Hooters later to watch my alma Canes take on Mississippi (sp). The Canes might make history tonight if they adfance to the finals. GB. Cheers. Peace.
January 8th, 2026 at 6:05 pm
So, earlier today the Dolphins fired McDaniels. I don’t personally like the guy, but he has Ivy League pedigree and he is an analytics, number cruncher. Could he possibly do better with Baker versus the disaster with Tua? Strange things are afoot, because I was sure the Dolphins would keep McDaniels.
The firing of Harbaugh was a total surprise, but in retrospect his record seems to be in decline in recent years. I can understand the Ravens wanting to try something different. Rumours and fantastical tales of the Glazers having talked to Harbaugh are just that unless it comes from a credible media outlet.
If the Bucs leadership keep Bowles, it will give my another year where I can rant and rave about how mediocre of coach he is and how he is slowly destroying the Bucs. I’ll be doing that from Illinois as I am moving back North after 30 years in the land of sunshine and palm trees. Go Bucs. Go Canes. I am headed to Hooters later to watch my alma Canes take on Mississippi (sp). The Canes might make history tonight if they adfance to the finals. GB. Cheers. Peace.
January 8th, 2026 at 6:06 pm
So, earlier today the Dolphins fired McDaniels. I don’t personally like the guy, but he has Ivy League pedigree and he is an analytics, number cruncher. Could he possibly do better with Baker versus the disaster with Tua? Strange things are afoot, because I was sure the Dolphins would keep McDaniels.
The firing of Harbaugh was a total surprise, but in retrospect his record seems to be in decline in recent years. I can understand the Ravens wanting to try something different. Rumours and fantastical tales of the Glazers having talked to Harbaugh are just that unless it comes from a credible media outlet like SI, ESPN or NBC Sports.
If the Bucs leadership keep Bowles, it will give my another year where I can rant and rave about how mediocre of coach he is and how he is slowly destroying the Bucs. I’ll be doing that from Illinois as I am moving back North after 30 years in the land of sunshine and palm trees. Cheers. Peace.
January 8th, 2026 at 6:24 pm
@DavidBigBucFan,
Licht did not even draft LVD. You give him more credit than he deserves. Also I recall 2 or 3 of the top 4 Tackles in that draft going before Wirfs. The Wirfs pick was a no trainer. Evans wasn’t much of a risk either. Godwin was a sweet pick, but come on GMs need to be more savvy when their team is hurting and he’s just not reactive
January 8th, 2026 at 9:39 pm
Interesting perspective Joe, and one to contemplate. I still think Bowells needs to retire now and join BA and Leftwich on the golf greens. 🤣