Several fans and pundits alike have discussed the job status of both Bucs head coach Todd Bowles and GM Jason Licht. After all, the Bucs went from legitimate Super Bowl contenders to missing the playoffs entirely. However, one former Super Bowl winning head coach has just backed them amidst the chaos.
Bruce Arians recently went on the Pat Mcafee Show to discuss the future of the Bucs. As a former head coach who now has assumed a front office role, Arians has a lot of say potentially in how the team will operate this offseason.
Arians Voices Confidence in Bowles and Licht Despite Turmoil
When asked about both situations concerning Bowles and Licht, Arians didn’t seem to be worried at all about either. “Yeah, I think so.” said Arians of whether or not both will stay on. “A lot of injuries this year, and some things didn’t go right in a couple different spots. Todd’s going to right the ship, and Jason Licht’s going to get another great draft. They’ll reload, they won’t have to rebuild.”
Bucs fans may not like to hear those words, even if they come from the mouth of one of their most revered former head coaches. Still, it’s important to note that Arians’ words are not the end all, be all here. While Arians may have some input into the decision making process, the Glazer family will make the final decision.
As of right now, it seems as if they are simply not willing to part ways with Bowles and Licht just yet. Bowles has just finished the first year of his new contract, and Licht has not particularly done anything to jeopardize his job status. What Arians did mention though is that massive roster overhauls could be coming.
Roster Changes Loom as Tensions Continue to Build
Several players have voiced their displeasure with Bowles, including defensive leader Yaya Diaby. Still, whether or not he and certain other leaders will have their voices heard, or even be on the team next year, could be up in the air.
To put Arians’ comments into perspective, a couple of weeks ago, he was on the Pat Mcafee Show singing a different tune when asked the same question. “Your guess is as good as mine,” Arians said to Pat McAfee about what went wrong this year. “All of a sudden, we can’t make a play to win a game. We’ve got veterans busting coverages, giving up eighty-yard touchdowns in critical moments”. While he still defended Bowles, he was highly critical of the team’s play.
Overall, it feels like this won’t get resolved any time soon. Bowles, Licht, and the Glazers will surely all meet some time in the near future and decide the fate of the franchise from there. But growing tensions seem to be seeping in and as much as Arians seems to be giving both a vote of confidence, things in the NFL change rapidly. After all, John Harbaugh’s on the market now. Anything truly can happen in the weeks ahead.
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