You have two things that are intertwined. The contract of the QB and the status of the HC. What if Bowles gets another year and Baker gets his contract extended? What are the chances he makes it past next year without getting fired or retiring? Slim. Bowles would basically be a lame duck HC. He'd start the year with the hottest of seats in the NFL - only retaining his job because of the loyalty of Licht and the Glazers.
And there's a good chance Licht extends Baker this offseason, which means his new contract starts after 2026. It would be starting the same time a new HC would be starting.
Licht would be hiring a new coach who would have no say in who his starting quarterback would be for pretty much the next three or four years. That's the amount of time a coach gets to prove himself if he's lucky.
But neither of these is a done deal yet. So the upshot is that Licht has no business keeping Bowles on for another year and extending Baker in the same offseason. He would be severly limiting the pool of offensive minded head coaching candidates who would be fully aware they have no choice in the QB. An offensive minded HC hire is going to want to have some say in his QB even if he has a veteran QB to start with. He's going to want to have the opportunity to draft another QB and bring him along.
I like Licht, but if he keeps Bowles and extends Baker this would be malpractice. The following are the choices in order of preference:
1) Fire Bowles. Extending Baker's contract would be part of the discussion with offensive minded HC candidates. The new offensive minded coach would have input into the QB situation and Baker may or may not be ideal for their system.
2) Keep Bowles and don't extend Baker. If you keep both of them after this trainwreck of a year they have 2026 to make something happen. Even then you might be moving on from one or both of them after 2026. at least the futures would be linked together which seems appropriate given how this season has gone.
3) Do what appears likely to happen - Keep Bowles for a lame duck year and extend Bakers contract - thus severely limiting future HC candidates for the 2027 season, and Baker would be forced to learn another entirely new offensive system. He would not even have the choice to accept a trade because of cap implications. This would be mismanagement by Licht, and yet we're staring down this possible outcome as we limp towards the finish line of this season.
Bowles Derangement Syndrome.
Another option never mentioned: if Bowles isn’t fired, he should be FORCED to hire a DC from OUTSIDE our coaching staff. Imagine if we brought in Brian Flores or someone fresh and new to run the defense. Bowles scheme is archaic and not adaptable.
I think you'd be as suprised as me if that really happened. Brady had the pull to engineer a coaching change. Baker doesn't have that kind of pull.And there's a good chance Licht extends Baker this offseason,
If Baker were smart, he wouldn’t sign an extension until there’s a change at HC.
Besides, Baker had plenty of input into the choice of Grizzard. Now he's going to cut the legs out under him by refusing to extend? He likes it here in Tampa Bay. If it's up to him he'll be more than willing to take the money and just deal with whatever coaching changes come along.
I think SR addressed this on the radio. That's not going to happen. Bowles isn't that type of coach. If he's not the DC why is he here? And what new DC in their right mind would be wanting to work under Bowles with all the Bowles players there, Bowles would be on the hotseat and there could be a housecleaning coming. That scenario isn't going to happen plain and simple.Another option never mentioned: if Bowles isn’t fired, he should be FORCED to hire a DC from OUTSIDE our coaching staff. Imagine if we brought in Brian Flores or someone fresh and new to run the defense. Bowles scheme is archaic and not adaptable.
If it's up to him he'll be more than willing to take the money and just deal with whatever coaching changes come along.
And again, if he was smart, he shouldn't commit long-term to anything if the current coaching staff remains.
He's going to get paid whether it's here or somewhere or else.
