Jason Licht No. 12
May 21st, 2026
Disrespected.
Sometimes, it’s too easy to spot the biases.
Take Patrick Daugherty of Rotoworld. He put out his annual general manager rankings and Joe smelled something funny right away.
Daugherty clearly isn’t a fan of Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht. Maybe because Licht doesn’t like some boring alt-rock band like REM or Dave Matthews that the hipsters seem to embrace.
Joe sensed, reading Daugherty’s list, that he dinged Licht not so much because of his resume, but Daugherty seems to think like a network TV exec and he likes likes to hang with the cool kids. And the Bucs simply are not a cool team now.
All the general managers listed ahead of Licht are either running popular teams or teams the high and mighty consider cool.
You know, like Saint Lamar Jackson. He’s basically a higher-paid Baker Mayfield who fantasy geeks absolutely drool over. So, of course, Crows shot-caller Eric DeCosta, who has never won a Super Bowl as a general manager, is better than Licht.
Because Saint Lamar Jackson is cool, DeCosta rules!
And yes, Joe is aware Rotoworld traffics in fantasy football.
(For the unaware, Joe has nothing against fantasy football but Joe’s fantasy has a much higher ceiling. Joe’s fantasy has nothing to do with football but everything to do with a secluded Caribbean island, a sultry brunette and bottles of high-end Kentucky bourbon.)
Here is what Daugherty typed about Licht — and he actually mocks Licht for signing Tom Brady if you can imagine.
12. Jason Licht, Bucs
Jason Licht has been on the job 12 years. The number of times he’s won more than 10 games without the greatest player in league history? Zero. In fact, Licht has one total playoff victory without Mr. Thomas Brady. Of course, it came three years ago immediately following TB12’s retirement. In fact, Licht has had his best non-Brady stretch since the GOAT hung up his cleats. The problem is, that “best stretch” has been nine, 10 and eight victories. Far from terrible. Also far from inspiring, especially in the sleepy NFC South. There isn’t much reason to expect any near-term revelations. The defense is old and in need of a talent infusion. Admittedly, Rueben Bain is a good start there. Baker Mayfield is a credible option at quarterback, but not a 5-10 year solution. Coach Todd Bowles is solid but not winning any Xs and Os battles. Mike Evans is gone, Chris Godwin is aging … you get the picture. Licht needs something big to happen. Maybe Bain can be that player for 2026. But with another Brady not walking through that door, Licht needs several Bains to emerge, not just one.
There you go! Licht is not “exciting” so therefore, meh, he’s not that good.
The Bucs play in the “sleepy” NFC South. You know, the rest of the NFL stays at the club doing shots of tequila until 3 a.m. while the Bucs go home at 8 p.m., eat a KitKat, have a glass of oat milk and be in the sack before 10 p.m.
Joe’s going to run down the list of general managers here that Daugherty believes are better than Licht.
No. 1 Howie Roseman, Eagles: He’s very good and what Joe loves about Howie is that he is uber aggressive. He sees a hole in his roster and he attacks it. Oh, and Howie believes in a pass rush.
No. 2 John Schneider, Seahawks: This guy would be No. 1 in Joe’s book. He doesn’t make noise like Howie does, but winning two Super Bowls with different coaches is elite.
No. 3 Les Snead, Rams: Like Howie, he’s uber aggressive. Snead sees a hole and attacks it. Need an edge rush? Snead doesn’t fart around. No such thing as hope with Snead. Can’t play? Go home, we’ll find someone who can play and will produce. Reaching for a quarterback this spring when you could have gotten just about anyone else to come in and produce right away was dumb, though.
No. 4 DeCosta, Crows: Daugherty slaps Licht around for the Bucs doing little since Brady retired. So please tell Joe what the Crows have done since they let Joe Flacco out the door?
No. 5 Brett Veach, Chiefs: You could argue Veach should be No. 2. Not much more to add here.
No. 6 Brian Gutekunst, Packers: What the hell have the Packers done under Gutekunst? Please, someone fill Joe in. Oh, he traded for Micah Parsons. That’s cool! So let Joe get this straight: Licht gets slapped around for riding Brady’s jock, how are the Packers doing with Gutekunst riding Parsons’ jock? But props to Gutekunst for going out and getting an elite pass rusher.
No. 7 Brad Holmes, Lions: He’s done a very nice job turning around one of the worst teams in the league for decades. And he believes in edge rushers and attacks the most important position on defense. But here again, what has Holmes done that Licht hasn’t? The Lions were actually better than the Bucs during the Lost Decade and Licht built the Bucs into a Super Bowl winner. Did the Lions recently play in a Super Bowl that Joe missed? Who did the Lions play in the playoffs last year?
No. 8 John Lynch, 49ers. Really, John Lynch? This is a joke, right? But San Francisco is cool and they’ve got a hip coach and runs a fun offense. So Lynch’s many draft strikeouts can be swept under the rug. (If Licht pulled the stunts Lynch has in the draft, people would drag Licht down MacDill Ave. behind a pickup.) Last Joe checked, when Lynch last put on a Super Bowl ring, he was playing for the Bucs. (Joe really likes Lynch but let’s not pretend Lynch is Bill Polian.)
No. 9 Nick Caserio, Texans: Caserio is doing a solid job in Houston. And once again, he sees an issue and he attacks it. Caserio believes in both an edge rush and a strong defensive line. Houston is going to just beat the snot out of offenses this year, you just watch. Hell, they beat up offenses last year. Look at the damage they did to the Bucs’ offensive line that the Bucs never recovered from. Joe has no issue at all with Caserio.
No. 10 George Paton, Broncos: C’mon, this isn’t serious. This guy Paton was going to get run and Sean Payton saved his job. If Paton sneezes the wrong way in front of Payton he’s liable to get canned. Payton is calling the shots here, let’s be real. Paton is nothing more than a yes man.
No. 11 Joe Hortiz, Chargers: Hortiz has done a nice job in the short time he’s been running the Chargers, but again, what have the Chargers done? Joe doesn’t recall the Chargers in an AFC title game in recent years, forget a Super Bowl. But the Chargers play in Los Angeles (cool!), have a fun coach like Jim Harbaugh (cool!), have a fantasy football dream quarterback Justin Herbert (cool!) who used to date super hot Taylor Bisciotti (cool!) and now beds insanely gorgeous actress/singer Madison Beer (way cool!). Oh, and the Chargers have awesome uniforms (cool!) and Kay Adams goes to their games (very cool!). So yeah, that makes Hortiz a better general manager than Licht.
Again, Joe maintains Daugherty drew up this list mostly on a cool factor and a fantasy football impact — as much if not more so than merit.
May 21st, 2026 at 12:39 am
I like this post, Joe! All the extra commentary/context.
I agree with much of your thoughts. In my opinion Licht is 5 or 6. Secott’s didn’t even draft Lamar and he carries that team. All others in the top 5 have at least won a Super Bowl, while also being consistently good teams. Licht drafted Jameis, which was a 5 year process to see how it worked out. It didn’t. A draft pick missed, which can have major consequences. But Licht also managed through some challenging salary cap issues, while still maintaining quality players and generally drafting quite well. And he’s got a ring.
I will say I could see Holmes being slightly higher due to the uplift of that franchise and talent they have built. But you know a ring matters most so we’ll just call Licht #5.
May 21st, 2026 at 12:40 am
Decosta not Secotts, lol
May 21st, 2026 at 12:43 am
And tbh, we were picking #1 overall without a QB. Mariota didn’t turn out so hot either.
May 21st, 2026 at 1:11 am
Licht is a top 5 GM overall.
Probably the best drafting GM in the league though.
Nobody has drafted as well as Licht has the last 5 years.
Jason would be the first to tell you that a lot of the credit for his incredible draft success goes to his amazing staff.
May 21st, 2026 at 1:16 am
OR Buc ..your commenting to yourself.
May 21st, 2026 at 1:53 am
Buc1987
It could also be interpreted as further justification for the ranking that was applied by me to Jason Licht 🧐
May 21st, 2026 at 5:13 am
IMO Licht is a top 5 GM. At WORST he is top 10. Like always the national football media is a joke.
May 21st, 2026 at 5:17 am
Licht’s rating is weighed down by the HC/DC. He drafts well on average, but puts too much trust in rookies. He is slow to make adjustments by bringing in players when the starting rookies are not getting the job done. What is the thing with his buddy Bowles? The guy is not getting it done on the coaching side of the ball yet Licht continues to support him. Licht at #12 is about right.
May 21st, 2026 at 6:16 am
Licht seems to run a very good office. He finds some real gems that others overlook. But, he does a few boneheaded things along the way.
Trask in the second round when you are mortgaging the future trying to repeat as champs?
Not drafting a day 1 or day 2 ILB last year, but drafting a WR #1 when ILB was already killing the Bucs in 2024?
Trotter over Hill?
Running Dean and White out of town.
Still, not as thin as they were a couple of years ago. And, at least this year every position has a starter who is at least plausible. Maybe # 7 or 8.
May 21st, 2026 at 6:16 am
I have to laugh – Daughtery states the obvious – that Licht is nothing without Brady – and the Kool-Aid drinker Kim-Jong-Un-fanatics go bonkwrs – Emperor Licht has no clothes but nobody wants to call out his pallid, flabby, Fred-Flintstone-esque nakedness
May 21st, 2026 at 6:22 am
I like the receipt!
I’m sure it’s in Licht’s “Receipt Locker” already!
Jason, if you have a JBF burner account, feel free to confirm! 😎
May 21st, 2026 at 7:09 am
I totally agree with this ranking
Jason Licht is an average GM, nothing spectacular
He’s definitely not top 10 quality
May 21st, 2026 at 7:29 am
Some here say that Licht is Top 5 in drafting and maybe that is accurate , but Licht is also DEAD LAST in trade deadline deals which burns up all his draft cred.
May 21st, 2026 at 7:29 am
Before Arians was hired, Licht was a sub .500 GM.
Once Tom Brady was hired Licht became a championship GM.
Since hiring Bowles as HC he’s once again became a .500 GM.
So yes, Tom Brady put a ton of lipstick on that pig.
Keeping Bowles after the 2025 season makes him a bottom tier GM.
May 21st, 2026 at 7:36 am
Licht also got Arians to come to Tampa and they together got Tom Brady to come here. How can you ding somebody for doing much of their success through Tom Brady when as a GM he had to convince and somehow sign Tom Brady? He should get a lot of credit for Brady, not criticized for it.
Anyone above who thinks him not getting rid of Bowles.was fully his call is an idiot. I keep reading how the Glazers really liked Bowles. They’re the ones signing the paychecks here.
“Not drafting a day 1 or day 2 ILB last year, but drafting a WR #1 when ILB was already killing the Bucs in 2024?” How well would we have done last season without Ebuka? They ruled the dice on Dennis and it didn’t work out. You don’t reach for a position of need.
“Trotter over Hill?” How can you judge one over the other this early? Keep forgetting how everybody who posts in here is a draft specialist.
“Running Dean and White out of town.” Dean was an injury waiting to happen and Gainwell is better than White. White showed his true colors the way he acted towards the end. He may have caused his own exit
If you want to ding Licht for drafting Trask at 2, that makes more sense. And nobody mentioned Aguayo… which I think was his biggest mistake. But he also found McLaughlin, so think he was a crappy signing?
But hindsight’s 20/20, and every GM listed above has made some questionable decisions and drafted some huge busts.
May 21st, 2026 at 7:38 am
@OR Buc
I would’ve traded down that year. I wasn’t that big on either one of them. Might be wrong but I think Winston might have needed one more year to stay at FSU even though he was already gonna go early like that. Both of them probably could’ve used a the extra year & then Winston could’ve used the year to sit when we took him.
May 21st, 2026 at 7:53 am
Lakeland Says:
May 21st, 2026 at 7:09 am
I totally agree with this ranking
I do as well lol…
imo, JL is definitely inside the top 10
Joe, you think Lynch is overrated?…lol…they had more injuries than us and still won 12 games in the toughest division….Licht could never lol…as Daughtery pointed out, without Brady, Licht is most likely outta here lol
GO BUCS!!!!
May 21st, 2026 at 7:55 am
There is no.way Jason isnt Top 5 some of these people just don’t belong above Jason at all not even close
May 21st, 2026 at 8:25 am
Joe, so where do you put Licht? #3?
May 21st, 2026 at 8:26 am
Hell, look at some of his FA signings and what they did for this team: Barrett, JPP, Brady. Then look at his drafts: Evans, Wirfs, Godwin, Winfield, Vea, the O-line and on and on. Give me a break. He can draft Superman, but if the coach can’t scheme them correctly, is that Licht’s fault. Just pure disrespect Daugherty.
May 21st, 2026 at 8:49 am
Based on his rankings he’s taking the quality of the HC into account in his calculations, so it’s def understandable he has Licht in the middle of the pack.
May 21st, 2026 at 8:53 am
I don’t see anything wrong with his criticisms of Licht.
May 21st, 2026 at 8:54 am
Win the Super Bowl without Brady, you are number one. Don’t win the Super Bowl without Brady? Just a guy with a very high paying job that did not accomplish what he was paid to do. That’s it. There is number two. There is one and zero.
May 21st, 2026 at 8:56 am
John Lynch had a qualified backup at EVERY position
Brock Purdy out, no problem, they roll with Mac Jones
Fred Warner out for the season, still no problem, they have adequate backup
Trent Williams is out, still no problem, next man up
They lose 3 of their top WRs, and their All-Pro TE, they’re still winning
And the Bucs lose a few bums, and the season is a waste
May 21st, 2026 at 9:02 am
Let’s be honest guys. Licht is good, but I can’t sit there and pretend he’s top 5 or top 10 or better than Eric DeCosta. Here’s a thought for you. How many Pro Bowlers or All-Pros or ROYs have Licht/DeCosta drafted in the past 5 years? Yes, I know Pro Bowls are a pretty diluted award nowadays, which means surely Licht must have one, right?
DeCosta: 4 – Zay Flowers (2x), Kyle Hamilton (3x), Tyler Linderbaum (3x), Jordan Stout
Licht: 0
Ok well maybe Licht hasn’t drafted better, but what about free agency signings or players acquired via trade over the past 5 years? Surely some of them have made the pro bowl? Players signed in the past 5 years who made a pro bowl:
Licht: 1 – Mayfield
DeCosta: 4 – Roquan Smith (4x), Kevin Zeitler, Kyle Van Noy, Derrick Henry
The fact is that Licht had an incredible run from 2018-2020 and drafted and signed some great talent. But, like, he hasn’t drafted a pro bowler since Antoine Winfield and he’s already in the middle of his second contract. Licht *was* really good, but he hasn’t shown me any reason to believe he has the sauce anymore.
May 21st, 2026 at 9:37 am
I am still eagerly awaiting the media wag with large enough stones to ask Jason Licht one simple two part question? Did you whole heartedly endorse the retention of Bowles after last season? And if you did was that decision easy for you to make?
May 21st, 2026 at 9:53 am
I don’t hate this ranking it’s not like 11 is in the bottom half out of 32 teams it’s till in the top half some of glazing is a little carried away, it’s not bad, some of the criticisms of Jason have merit.
May 21st, 2026 at 10:15 am
He is absolutely SPOT ON throughout his analysis. He hit on almost everything, including the ‘historically’ baddddd NFC South Division, for the past 4+YEARS, where they’ve won by default. Except for leaving out the fact that HE was ‘responsible’ for 60% of the “Lost Decade” (6-years of it HE was the GM – God, remember all those moves), AND has a LOSING record of like 93-104 (including with Brady). Also, he could’ve added the fact that we are now on “Year-6” of not drafting a single Pro-Bowler. NOT ALL-PRO, but PRO-BOWLER. Then, you have the HORRIBLE recent contracts to Godwin, McCollum, Reddick, and others. There is almost ZERO ‘high-end’ TALENT on the roster. And, on and on… So, I think #12 is being VERY generous. I mean, what else would you want, or expect!? I think I know where the REAL “bias” lies.
May 21st, 2026 at 10:23 am
I just wonder if this article was written by JL-SuperFan, Steven Cheah LoL. Cause, I honestly don’t see the problem with these rankings. I mean, let’s be real here… NOBODY is even ranking JL in the Top-20 GM’s, had it not been for TOM BRADY.
May 21st, 2026 at 10:28 am
Hard to argue with this..
“The number of times he’s won more than 10 games without the greatest player in league history? Zero. In fact, Licht has one total playoff victory without Mr. Thomas Brady. Of course, it came three years ago immediately following TB12’s retirement. In fact, Licht has had his best non-Brady stretch since the GOAT hung up his cleats. The problem is, that “best stretch” has been nine, 10 and eight victories.”
Oh and Joe.. no one and by that I mean NO ONE would even think about dragging John behind a pickup truck Really weird and disturbing thinking there by you.
May 21st, 2026 at 10:40 am
You are really naiive if you don’t think Spytek brokered that deal.
Licht has as much parliamentary power as the Queen of England. The Glazers love that bull because they put a ring in that docile beast’s nose long ago. JL is is only as good as his coach and he’s only ever had 1 good coach. Luckily, BA wanted to retire in FL or JL would continue to elevate medoicre position coaches. He’s a homer that is passive, does not think out of the box, and saves receipts like a grandma rather than cashing out or buying in at critical moments. He hides during slides, was invisible at the end of last season when failing g to make the playoffs, and can’t even manage to keep his 1st pick whom he considered “family,” Evans. I’ve never witnessed him wholly taking command. He is a great scout, good middle manager, and an affable chap whose proximity to greatness tends to keep the shade off of him
May 21st, 2026 at 10:49 am
BRADY was almost completely out of any other options, when he chose to sign here. There might’ve even only a couple of other possibilities for him. He really wanted to go to San Fran, Miami, or the Raiders. Until, none of them became options for hm (for various reasons). Almost everyone else, already HAD Their QB, and were going in different directions. Also, the narrative at the time on Brady was that he was on the ‘downside’ of his career and the word “washed” was being floated around. I think maybe, Chicago was a ‘potential’ option for him at the time, and they were “in.” But, there for sure wasn’t very many others, and that is just a FACT. At least at Tampa, they did have TWO Stud-WR’s. And, the owners backing, that they’d be willing to do WHATEVER HE WANTED as far as bringing in talent, & etc. It was all mostly, just a local ‘narrative’ that BRADY was just dying to be a BUC. But, it all worked out beautifully!!!!
May 21st, 2026 at 11:02 am
Licht is way over rated by most guys here. I didn’t realize the no All Pro stats that PROVE he’s substandard. I just noticed a whole bunch of over-hype (Braswell anyone?) and under performance culminating in last year’s fiasco. The fact that he did not talk the Glazer’s into firing Bowels cinches it for me. He’s as bad as Todd Bowels! Fire them both!!!
May 21st, 2026 at 11:05 am
Lynch is a joke as a gm, why no mention of the QB trade??
Does Lynch develop these guys? They have a TOP 3 COACH, that matters.