Suspicion That Team Glazer Is Blocking Baker Mayfield, Vita Vea Deals
July 30th, 2026
Team Glazer members.
That former team executive with probably the most popular all-NFL show in the land is pointing a finger at Buccaneers ownership.
Pat Kirwan, the former Jets assistant coach, Bucs scout and Jets personnel chief, is huge fan of Todd Bowles and a good friend of the head coach. In fact, Bowles often appears on Kirwan’s show on SiriusXM NFL Radio.
Yesterday, Kirwan expressed his dismay that Bucs fans are down on Bowles to the extent they collectively are. And he suspects Baker Mayfield and Vita Vea being unsigned for 2027 is ownership reflecting its lack of confidence in Bowles.
“So from the [NFL front office] world I came from, you know, the first suspicion I have and it’s pretty easy to have it is let’s not extend anybody in case we’re dumping our coach at the end of the season and we wanna give the new guy, not the hang up of all these fat contracts,” Kirwan said.
That’s a tough one to inhale. If Team Glazer doesn’t believe in Bowles, then why is he head coach?
But, as players and front office types like to say, the NFL is a business. Joe can’t speak intelligently about how the Bucs view their business interests, but Joe can say that end result of these player contract squabbles is what matters, not the agonizing struggle.
July 30th, 2026 at 9:51 am
Take Tom Brady away and Jason licht teams when he drafted players was……..?
July 30th, 2026 at 9:53 am
Makes sense….I figured Jason would’ve at least got Big V done.
July 30th, 2026 at 9:55 am
IF thats the case, Licht is out the door too
GO BUCS!!!!
July 30th, 2026 at 9:57 am
Kirwan is just speculating. He has no inside information. This is rubbish.
We can all do that. It’s no leap.
July 30th, 2026 at 10:00 am
and the….
WHY ?
Nothing is passing the smell test going back to 2024 …
Please sell the franchise and have a great life…
July 30th, 2026 at 10:00 am
I agree though. If a new coach does come here, he shouldn’t be saddled with those contracts. He should pick the quarterback he wants, he should build the team in his vision from the jump. Cmon dudes, look in the mirror and be real. Football season being here is exciting because of fantasy leagues, a little gambling action and college football saturdays. But the Bucs are not winning the Super Bowl. It’s fun to dream and have hope and all that crap – but it’s not the job of the general manager or ownership to think like a fan. 13-4 teams win superbowls. Not 9-8 teams – which is what the Bucs are
July 30th, 2026 at 10:03 am
They should have fired Bowles already but were too afraid of criticism from their woke friends. Now they will lose Baker to the Rams to succeed their current qb after he retires.
July 30th, 2026 at 10:05 am
That’s bull…t!!!
They’ve been always cheap, with the exception of Brady’s era……
July 30th, 2026 at 10:08 am
Two rental Lombardi Trophies…
July 30th, 2026 at 10:08 am
I understand waiting what happens with Baker’s season after his last bad season because of injuries, and his style of plating.
What I don’t get is not paying VV, that’s atrocious……
Also this “family” is owner of MAN UN, and they are loosing money season after season, so i wouldn’t be surprise if they come cheap again….
July 30th, 2026 at 10:10 am
It’s a business.
Besides setting a precedent, if they spend more, will they make more? Probably not.
July 30th, 2026 at 10:10 am
I plead the 5th, we all know the real reason Bowles was not fired!!(DEI) he’s not here for his coaching ability. Glazers are strange owners, Go Bucs
July 30th, 2026 at 10:11 am
Another words, the Glazers are playing it smart. Both players are under contract. No need to do any new deals. Time for the players to go earn it.
July 30th, 2026 at 10:11 am
Now they will lose Baker to the Rams to succeed their current qb after he retires.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Rams just drafted a QB in the 1st round lol…Rams aint thinking about Baker lol
GO BUCS!!!!
July 30th, 2026 at 10:12 am
Joe listening to you and Ira yesterday, this makes the most sense. It also makes me wonder if they were that troubled why they did not make the change at the end of the season. I say that because like Ira said is this a 10 and 7 season or a 7 and 10 team. The arrow points towards 7-10. There are just to many ifs on defense. They still lack a real cb and depth at LB. I just don’t think they have the personnel. If the Glazers are waiting on the team do well Bowles may be doomed before he starts. I don’t think this team will get off to a fast start because of all the changes , coaches, rookies etc. Does Bowles get fired before mid season?.
July 30th, 2026 at 10:13 am
Joe … “That’s a tough one to inhale. If Team Glazer doesn’t believe in Bowles, then why is he head coach?“
The only thing that makes any sense to me about retaining Todd Bowles as the head coach is that the Glazers have already talked to a proven winning coach like Sean McDermott or Mike Tomlin and are using Todd as a space-filler for 1 year. And Todd probably knows that.
July 30th, 2026 at 10:13 am
I’ve been spot on all off-season. I said the Glazers didn’t trust Bowles and Licht and their job this season is to secure a high draft pick to turn the page and build a new team. Its the only thing that makes sense. Todd is the coach because no other coach wanted Baker and this roster. So the 27 draft is the QB draft, the owners know this and want to go cheaper while getting better.
This is so obvious. Its a wrap for regime. The new HC and GM will want and have a clean slate to work with.
July 30th, 2026 at 10:17 am
okay, i can see saying they don’t want the next coach tied down with big contracts.
but i can also see the next coach being someone desperate for work since they are going to a team with nothing but voids at important positions. what sought after coach is going to want what we will have left next year?
July 30th, 2026 at 10:17 am
I heard this on the radio on the way to work this morning. What stuck out to me is when he said the team has 34 contracts that expire this year.
Woah
July 30th, 2026 at 10:23 am
If Kirwan is even remotely right, then Bucs fans have every reason to ask hard questions.
Team Glazer bought the Buccaneers for $192 million in 1995. Today, the franchise is worth around $6.6 billion. That’s one of the greatest investment returns in professional sports. But here’s what ownership can never put on a balance sheet:
This isn’t an asset to us. It’s our hometown team. Our Sundays. Our memories. Our passion.
If the focus has shifted elsewhere while Baker Mayfield and Vita Vea sit without extensions, then WE deserve answers not silence.
You built generational wealth off this franchise. Thank you. But if the fire to chase championships in Tampa has cooled, then do right by the fans. Sell the team to someone whose biggest priority isn’t the next quarterly valuation, it’s raising another Lombardi Trophy.
@Bee
Terrible take. You don’t tank with a playoff roster and a franchise QB, you build on it. That makes zero sense! Nobody wants to inherit one of the NFL’s better young rosters? Please explain yourself. Dios Mío..
🔥 LFG!
🧌❌
July 30th, 2026 at 10:24 am
I have to wonder how much business experience Joe Bucs fan has.
July 30th, 2026 at 10:26 am
Infuriating
July 30th, 2026 at 10:27 am
I’m not saying I believe it, but it’s at least plausible.
“If Team Glazer doesn’t believe in Bowles, then why is he head coach?” Simple answer that Joe himself already had the answer to, months ago. The guy the Glazers were interested in moving on to… the “ace card,” so to speak, wanted to bring his own GM, and the Glazers wanted to keep JL. With the ace off the table, the Glazers stood on 17 (…or 1-and-7?).
Blackjack allegory aside, it seems obvious that the Glazers were at least considering moving on if the replacement was right which, in my book, makes it easier to “inhale,” as Joe put it.
Kirwan isn’t the first guy to put this theory forward; it’s been batted around repeatedly on local radio, as well. As Joe has also noted, the Glazers have a tendency to move on from a coach after two losing seasons. Incredibly Average Todd Bowles got his mulligan in his first season, and the Glazers have already given him a comparatively long leash in the fact that they’re keeping him around despite a barely .500 record over 3 years, which doesn’t happen often in the NFL. He’s now on year #1 of losing seasons and the seat is getting hot.
I see no reason to believe that Team Glazer isn’t considering this one last attempt at getting the competitive rebuild moving in the right direction before declaring it a failure and moving to the full rebuild.
July 30th, 2026 at 10:28 am
should have fired bowles two years ago he sucks he ran brady off hes run evans out of town and now vea wants out
nobody wants to play for this loser they quit on hi last year this year wont be better
Go win your 6 games and lets fire the guy already
July 30th, 2026 at 10:34 am
Love your site and hard work Joe(s)!
Perhaps you might reconsider the drop-down advert at the top of every page. It’s an extra click to close and is in the way of reading your awesome content. Just sayin’ for a friend LOL.
July 30th, 2026 at 10:39 am
If this is true it’s a sound approach. Although it’s just insane to me that they’re giving Todd the benefit of the doubt to turn it around. Nothing about this guys career should make anyone think he’s capable of that. Let alone an nfl owner of 30 plus years.
It also seems to confirm that baker is looking for several years of guarantees. There’s nothing wrong with extending this guy for a couple years as a stop gap. Any new HC would welcome the idea of having a vet qb to roll out his first year while he he’s monitoring the draft for the future and/or getting a new guy ready.
But if mayfield won’t go there then so be it.
July 30th, 2026 at 10:39 am
Borimex
Are you ok? How can the Bucs have a playoff roster if they missed the playoffs last year? How do you have a playoff roster if you haven’t won a playoff game in 3 years? How can you have a franchise QB if he’s on the last year of his contract coming off of a horrible season?
Wake up! This team is not good.
July 30th, 2026 at 10:43 am
Bee
You’ve had the worst takes this offseason. Lol
July 30th, 2026 at 10:44 am
Joes!
I am having a very difficult time opening articles with Bowles and the Glazers in the photo included in the article
July 30th, 2026 at 10:44 am
They had a playoff roster until half of them went uninjured reserve
July 30th, 2026 at 10:45 am
wanna give the new guy, not the hang up of all these fat contracts,” Kirwan said.
If that were the case, it would make more sense for ownership to fire the entire coaching staff at end of last year and not sign veterans like Anzalone and Robinson and let the new coaching staff work on roster rebuilding- the way Bucs have worked their roster, they want to win now but not at expense of offering an inconsistent QB $150 million in guarantees.
As for Vea, he just wants to be paid in accordance to current market – 2 years $55 million with 1/2 guaranteed ought to do it…
July 30th, 2026 at 10:48 am
The time to move from Kit Kat and Bud Licht was at the end of last seasons debacle.
July 30th, 2026 at 10:56 am
Why didn’t they just fire him? So gross.
July 30th, 2026 at 10:57 am
If the Glazers were concerned about Todd Bowles coaching ability why did the Glazers just not fire hire. They kept him because they had confidence in his coaching abilities. If Mayfield continues to play recklessly, which he has shown to do, the Glazers have a legitimate concern of throwing a lot of money 💰 at a Quarterback who puts himself in arms way. How do you get to the Super Bowl with that kind of mentality from your Quarterback.
July 30th, 2026 at 11:01 am
“If Team Glazer doesn’t believe in Bowles, then why is he head coach?” Bingo!
July 30th, 2026 at 11:12 am
Run Baker Run !
What a Schnitt Show
July 30th, 2026 at 11:12 am
Take off the fan hat and put on the business man suit:
Reach out for Harbaugh, and learn it’s not going to happen.
By the time that is processed, all the heads roll and there are many, many openings.
Evaluate the openings more attractive than yours.
Evaluate the potential candidates.
Realize the market is bad.
Prepare for next year.
It’s really not a bad way to do business. Better to wait a year and get a better crop of candidates in a better market. Kind of like how the upcoming draft is supposed to be much better for qbs than this year’s
July 30th, 2026 at 11:18 am
Licht lobbied to keep Todd and that is why he is here
Licht made no moves at trade deadline last year costing Glazers millions
Licht has lost the confidence of Glazers
Licht and Bowles will be gone after this season
July 30th, 2026 at 11:21 am
People are just figuring this out?
Bowles was retained because it was cheaper to keep him rather than fire him, pay a buy-out and hire a new coach. Let him coach in 2026. Save a little money on the buy-out.
Let the expiring K’s go – including Mayfield and Vita.
Full rebuild mode in 2027 with a rookie QB or worse, someone like Minshew making pennies on the dollar. Sell the idea of a young and upcoming team with potential – while they line their pockets and take care of the golden child, Manchester U.
This thing has stunk from the beginning.
July 30th, 2026 at 11:22 am
WHY, JOE? THIS IS EASY
1) Wasn’t the Plan
Most of the season, the NFCS Crown was a lock. The plan was to keep Bowles for another 2 seasons because he can continuously deliver the best of the worst. Bowles was so horrible it hit the pocketbook. Time for a change.
2) No More Rahs
Remember Rah. They shipped Gruden off and brought in Rah because he was cheap. Gruden still had years on his deal and they didn’t want to pay two coaches. They don’t want to repeat the Rah expirament.
3) The Perfect Setup
Would an Arians-level coach come to last year’s team. No way. It’s a losing team, Bad cap, Journeyman QB, and Aging Vets. Now, they are letting vet contracts expire. The result is tons of young talent, all the draft picks, and $146M. That is the perfect setup to recruit a top coach.
The Glazers are playing the long game. They’ve won 2 Super Bowles with the same formula. Thankfully they are more patient and calculating than Joe Bucs Fans.
It’s a throw away year so we can win later on.
July 30th, 2026 at 11:29 am
It seems there is a developing school of thought that the Glazers did not fire Bowles, or even Licht at the end of last season was because the time wasn’t right. There could be something to this or it could be totally out in left field. The Glazers are so aloof and unpredictable that no one outside of the family ever has even the slightest clue what they are thinking.
July 30th, 2026 at 11:41 am
Exactly why I voted ownership as to blame for the cause of Vita’s/Bake’s demands/deadlines in yesterday’s poll. Their decision to bring back the HC was bound to lead to all kinds of uncertainty this season. I backed Bowles up until last year’s 2nd half season collapse. That was ALL on him. With the loss of ME13, David and Dean, we can still compete. But if we lose VV and/or him and Bake play under contract uncertainty………..not good for us. Another 9-8 or 8-9 season.Someone has to right the ship. Go Bucs!!!
July 30th, 2026 at 12:31 pm
Let’s see how they feel when I don’t renew my 4 seats and parking next year
July 30th, 2026 at 12:36 pm
@Bee
I’m trying to find some middle ground with you, but missing the playoffs by itself doesn’t prove the roster lacks talent, it proves the TEAM failed to convert that talent into wins. Playoff victories are team accomplishments, and Baker still finished 2025 with 3,693 yards, 26 touchdowns and a 61.3 QBR, not remotely a horrible season.
His contract status is a business decision, not a talent evaluation. You’re confusing disappointing results with an untalented roster, and respectfully that’s exactly why your takes keep getting cooked.
July 30th, 2026 at 1:09 pm
Joe says:
If Team Glazer doesn’t believe in Bowles, then why is he head coach?
————————————————————————————–
For only one reason; the felt like it would be unfair to fire him due to the excessive amount of injuries we had last year. But if we don’t make the playoffs this year, I strongly believe he’s a goner.
With the uncertainty of the future of the HC position, I think it’s wise to not become encumbered with huge contracts with some over 30 year olds.
July 30th, 2026 at 2:40 pm
Why does anyone find it credible that, absent Baker Mayfield, a new coach will be able to get an ideal quarterback of his own choosing? How? Draft? Free agency? Trade? All of these are complex, competitive processes rather than simple acts of the will. The Glazers do not pay top dollar for coaches, so the best-reputed candidates can be excluded. Unfortunately, they are the ones most likely to recognize and attract the best quarterbacks. So, you will be choosing someone with maybe some experience as an OC or DC, who has a strong ego and opinions.
Welcome back, Josh Grizzard!