Former Patriots Executive, Bill Belichick Disciple Gets New Contract
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are running it back in the front office.
The team announced Thursday it signed general manager Jason Licht, a former New England Patriots executive, and head coach Todd Bowles to multi-year contract extensions.
“Jason and Todd’s excellent leadership and vision have been critical to our organizational success, and the winning culture they have established has us well positioned into the future,” said Buccaneers owner Joel Glazer in a statement issued by the team.
“Jason has evolved into one of the top talent evaluators and general managers in the NFL, while Todd has led us to three consecutive division titles and is one of the league’s leading defensive minds. Under their guidance, we will continue building towards another championship.”
Licht has been the Buccaneers GM since 2014 but his football roots trace back to Foxboro, Mass. He was a scout for the team (1999-2001) before ascending to assistant director of player personnel. Licht left New England in 2003 but returned in 2009 as director of player personnel. He left in 2012 to take the same position with the Arizona Cardinals.
Licht has two Super Bowl rings, the first coming in the Patriots’ stunning upset of the Rams in Super Bowl XXXVI. His second ring came with the Buccaneers, when he convinced quarterback Tom Brady to sign with Tampa and coaxed tight end Rob Gronkowski out of retirement. That dynamic duo led the Buccaneers to victory in Super Bowl LV.
While in New England, Licht had the opportunity to learn from Bill Belichick and the former head coach remains a big fan. Last year on the “ManningCast,” Belichick praised his former Patriots partner.
“Jason did a great job for me,” Belichick said, according to Pro Football Talk. “He’s really a great evaluator, a really smart guy. He’s done a great job putting the Bucs together. And then, you know in (2022 and 2023,) they were kind of down a bit, it looked like they were rebuilding, got (Baker) Mayfield and a lot of young players in there. And here they are playing really competitively again.
“So he’s done a tremendous job. I really enjoy Jason,” Belichick continued. “He’s a great guy to be around. You know, he’s really done a great job with that franchise.”
Licht, 54, also worked for the Miami Dolphins, Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers during his three decades in the NFL. As a result, he’s been a part of teams with a combined 13 playoff appearances, 11 division championships, five conference championships and two Super Bowl titles.