The Tampa Bay Buccaneers showed interest in former Baltimore Ravens head coach John Harbaugh prior to their decision to retain Todd Bowles for another season. This revelation came from NFL insider Benjamin Allbright, who indicated that the Buccaneers made inquiries about Harbaugh and learned that he desires a general manager of his choosing for his next position.
During his appearance on the Tampa Bay sports radio station WDAE, Allbright elaborated on the Buccaneers” outreach regarding Harbaugh. “They definitely made the inquiry there,” he stated, as reported by JoeBucsFan. “And, you know, Harbaugh kind of let it be known, you know, kind of what it is that he wants through his people. Bryan Harlan is his agent. And, you know, they kind of let it be known, “Hey, look, you know, this is what I”m looking for.”
Last offseason, the Buccaneers extended Bowles” contract along with that of general manager Jason Licht. The financial implications of these extensions might explain why Bowles remains in his role after the team finished the recent season with an 8-9 record and missed the playoffs.
Allbright noted that ownership recognized that Harbaugh”s vision might not align with the current direction of the organization. “They realized fairly quickly that that”s not compatible with where they”re at as an organization,” Allbright explained. “They really like Jason Licht, and obviously, Jason Licht has been a great general manager. I think they just decided, “OK, well is a great coach, but he”s kind of got a different vision with what he wants and where we”re at. So we”re going to keep our general manager and give him the opportunity to run it back with his head coach.”
Meanwhile, speculation surrounds Harbaugh”s future, with some experts indicating that the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins appear to be front-runners for his services. Additionally, he reportedly has genuine interest in the possibility of coaching the Cleveland Browns.
Following the news of the Buccaneers” coaching decisions, the team announced the dismissal of offensive coordinator Josh Grizzard and quarterbacks coach Thad Lewis. Reports from ESPN”s Jenna Laine revealed that other notable coaching changes included the firing of special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey, cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross, and defensive line coach Charlie Strong. Moreover, senior offensive assistant Tom Moore and safeties coach Nick Rapone confirmed their retirements.
Laine also reported that a source indicated these changes were not mandated by ownership after the Buccaneers” disappointing season. Instead, the decisions were made independently by Bowles, signaling his commitment to reshaping the coaching staff. It remains uncertain whether these adjustments will help Bowles maintain his position through the upcoming seasons.
