Bucs general manager Jason Licht has been very busy over the past few months. It’s been compounded by the fact that Tampa Bay no longer has their all-time offensive leader. The optics for the Bucs organization when it comes to their most important offensive player in franchise history Mike Evans left the team in free agency points to a separate decision by ownership that spiraled into this.

Essentially, after the Bucs went 8-9 and missed the postseason, the Glazer Family chose to keep Todd Bowles as head coach despite a less than flattering record. That propelled Mike Evans to view this team with the direction it’s going in and come to the conclusion that he’d rather play somewhere else instead.

Former Bucs WR Mike Evans – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Many feel that the straw that may have broke the camel’s back was the defensive collapse by the Bucs as they choked away a 14-point fourth quarter lead to Atlanta with 10 minutes left on Thursday Night Football. The highlight moment that all of Tampa Bay has commiserated about is when the Bucs defense had a chance to get a stop on third-and-28 followed by a fourth-and-14 and failed to do so.

Evans was seen shouting after the game, “Third-and-28!” in anger after the game as he made his way to the locker room after the loss.

Jason Licht Backs Bucs Head Coach Todd Bowles

While it’s a standout moment for all the wrong reasons, Jason Licht doesn’t believe that was the reason that Mike Evans is no longer a Buccaneer. Licht believes Evans’ decision to leave for San Francisco didn’t have to do with Todd Bowles. Instead, there were other factors involved.

“I feel pretty strongly, I’ve seen that theory, but that’s not it,” Licht said.  “A lot of people were frustrated, and Mike (was) frustrated as competitive as he is. But nothing was ever direct. Probably the person that was most frustrated in that particular incident was Todd. 

Bucs GM Jason Licht – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

“There’re a lot of things, every team I’ve been a part of, there’s instances like that where players get emotional in times that may be not as public or on camera, it’s in the locker room. That had to zero to do with it.”

This is the same tune that Licht sang at the NFL Scouting Combine when Evans had yet to sign with a team. Whether Licht believes in his support of Bowles – or is saying the right things to be a company guy and not create turmoil – can only be decided by him.

The fact that Evans took less money to go to the 49ers despite a much higher offer by the Bucs doesn’t make a good case for it not involving Bowles in some form. Then add in how other players, such as cornerback Jamel Dean, defensive tackle Logan Hall and running back Rachaad White were ready to leave as soon as the season ended, and it doesn’t come as a surprise that there may not be a lot of trust in Tampa Bay righting the ship this season.

“There’s a lot of people frustrated with the way the season went,” Licht said at the Combine back in late February. “I haven’t lost any faith in Todd. Nobody in the building has either. I love working with Todd and I think he’s the perfect person for this right now in this situation.”

Can Bowles Find A Double Digit Win Season?

Todd Bowles will have a lot to prove this year. He’s been a head coach for eight years between the Jets and the Bucs with just two 10-win seasons and five losing seasons to show for it. The upcoming 2026 season will be his ninth year as a head coach and his  fifth with Tampa Bay. Despite three division titles with the Bucs, his overall record of 35-33 in Tampa Bay doesn’t look outstanding.

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles – Photo by: USA Today

How many seasons will it take to either become a consistent double-digit winner under Bowles, or for the Glazers to decide that Bowles just isn’t the coach to take them to the next level?

If Mike Evans was ready to go elsewhere, what’s going to stop others from wanting a different opportunity? Licht and the Bucs better hope that improvement happens rapidly beginning with this this season.