The Bucs and Saints had plenty of drama between their players on the field in Tampa Bay’s 20-10 win in New Orleans on Sunday. That drama has spilled over into the front office as well.

Bucs OC Byron Leftwich – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Some in the national media, including Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk, took exception to the fact that former head coach Bruce Arians was on the sidelines in the Bucs’ win over the Saints. Florio’s article states that the NFL was looking into all the aspects of Arians’ role in the game.
Arians is the senior advisor to general manager Jason Licht. He is part of the front office and is no longer a member of the coaching staff, although he is seen regularly at practice in his golf cart. For the Bucs first game, Arians was seen in a private box at AT&T Stadium for their 19-3 win against the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football.
But his view of the game was much closer last Sunday during the ruckus that came about in the Bucs’ victory that gave them a 2-0 record to start the year.
Bowles Gives Explanation For Arians Being On Bucs Sidelines
Why was Arians on the sideline for the Saints game as opposed to being up in a private box again? Apparently it had to do with the amount of seating, according to Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles.
“He’s always upstairs,” Bowles said. “They didn’t have a box to give us this game, so everybody that was upstairs were downstairs.”
#Bucs HC Todd Bowles says that the reason Bruce Arians was on the sidelines yesterday was because the Saints didn’t have a box for the Bucs’ staff. Usually, Bruce will be upstairs during the game. pic.twitter.com/b8QKZkoYAZ
— PewterReport (@PewterReport) September 19, 2022
While Arians watches from up top, Bowles also confirmed that Licht is always on the sidelines.
“Jason’s always downstairs, Bruce is always upstairs,” Bowles said.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
We can’t put a bow in this story just yet until we hear from the Saints’ side of things. According to Saints ESPN reporter Katherine Terrell, the Bucs front office staff was given seats, however, they were in the press box as opposed to their own private box.
This was the Saints seating chart for the pressbox last night. Note the spaces for Buccaneers personnel pic.twitter.com/i0E9nOH8qo
— Katherine Terrell (@Kat_Terrell) September 19, 2022
As The Athletic’s Greg Auman points out, the Caesars Superdome only has so many boxes available, and the fact that the game was on national radio caused for even less seating.
As it relates to Saints on Sunday, stadiums have a finite number of booths/boxes on press level, and because game was also on national radio, Saints couldn't offer one to Bucs as they normally would to an opponent. So Licht, Arians and others were on the sidelines instead.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) September 19, 2022
Because of that, Tampa Bay’s staff opted to view the game with the rest of the game players on the sidelines rather than the Bucs’ brass have private, in-game conversations overheard by the media in the press box.
Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds notes that the Bucs offer opponents’ general managers and personnel executives a private box to watch the game in at Raymond James Stadium.
"Not having a box" was a true and valid statement – not a lie. Bucs execs did not want to sit in the press box, which is different from a private box, among reporters. Can't blame 'em.
— PewterReport (@PewterReport) September 20, 2022
There is no shortage of controversy between the Bucs and Saints whether it’s on the field, the sidelines – or the press box– involving players, coaches or personnel executives it seems.