Today, the Bucs made a big shift in the way they typically handle players under Licht. At least for now, the team known for re-upping guys early told two cornerstone players, Vea and Mayfield, to go pound sand. A lot might change with that over the short term, but they have already lost one thing Licht cultivated, which is their reputation for taking care of players early. This is from SI:
"There is also, of course, the optics of the Bucs waiting on Baker Mayfield, and the problem is expounded upon when you add Vea's contract into the equation.
Other players will be watching when a team like the Bucs doesn't give out extensions and plays the waiting game. The Bucs have been quite good at this in the past and rewarded their players, but this is a notable shift, and it's something that other players in free agency will likely take note of when Tampa Bay becomes an option among their destinations."
But the more critical element potentially, is what does it say about the actual expectations for this season? That perception usually drives the Glazers because perceptions of "success" mean ticket price increases and actual success a home playoff game worth millions and price increases that follow.
The Bucs are definitely NOT all in on 2026. Again, this is SI:
"Additionally, it makes one question how the Glazer family and Tampa Bay's front office feel about the team's chances. If they were sure they were going to be successful, extending Mayfield and Vea would be a no-brainer. But there could be some doubt there, especially given the flexibility the team would have with Mayfield if the year didn't go well and the coaching staff was cleaned out.
How confident are the Bucs that they'll compete in 2026? We'll wait to see for sure, but this could be an ominous sign."
These kind of player contract challenges are one factor that could have factored into keeping Bowles for 2026 because most good HC candidates probably would NOT want to be the new coach who ran all those legends out.
Maybe the Bucs actually see it all going south in 2026. They can say they gave Bowles every chance, pull the rip chord, start over? are the Glazers that Machiavellian? Save themselves million on Mayfield
Then again, maybe they redo both deals in the coming week . ..Â