Bill Belichick-Jason Licht Reunion With Bucs Discussed By Colin Cowherd

“Jason did a great job for me,” Belichick told Peyton and Eli Manning. “He’s really a great evaluator, a really smart guy. He’s done a great job putting the Bucs together. And then, you know they were kind of down a bit, it looked like they were rebuilding, got [Baker] Mayfield and a lot of young players in there. And here they are playing really competitively again. So he’s done a tremendous job. I really enjoy Jason. He’s a great guy to be around. You know, he’s really done a great job with that franchise.”

Fox Sports TV commentator and podcaster Colin Cowherd heard Belichick’s comments about Licht and recently discussed the possibility that Belichick could replace Bowles in 2025 if Tampa Bay decided to go in a different direction. Bowles has presided over one of the worst defenses in the NFL this year, and Belichick is regarded as a true defensive mastermind.

Jason Licht Is “One Of The All-Time Great Scouts”

On a the November 8 episode of The Herd With Colin Cowherd, Cowherd’s praise for Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht was as lofty as Bill Belichick’s.

“Jason Licht is one of the all-time great scouts,” Cowherd said. “He was an amazing talent evaluator as a scout, and that’s what happens when you’re like the best scout in the league – you get the G.M. job. I’ve said this multiple times before. Tampa’s always got dudes. They don’t miss on much.

“They reached on Kyle Trask, the quarterback, a couple of years ago because they needed somebody behind [Tom] Brady. But he’s a great talent evaluator. I’ve had two different G.M.s tell me in the all-time great scouts in the league, he’s Top 10. He was a Top 10 talent evaluator. Really good at it.”

Given the praise that he heaped on Licht on his appearance on The Manningcast during the Bucs’ Monday Night Football game in Kansas City, Bill Belichick undoubtedly feels the same way.

“Tampa’s Got Good Players”

One of Colin Cowherd’s producers tried to shoot down the possibility of Bill Belichick going to Tampa Bay because the future Hall of Fame head coach would be following in the footsteps of Tom Brady, who left New England in 2020 after 20 years with the Patriots and won Super Bowl LV with the Bucs that season. But Cowherd said that Belichick would naturally be attracted to the Bucs head coaching job should there be a vacancy in 2025 because of the talent.

That’s the same reason why Brady chose the Bucs in free agency.

“If I’m a coach, obviously like [Jim] Harbaugh I would rather inherit a [Justin] Herbert,” Cowherd said. “You can do worse than a great general manager [like Licht], the owners (the Glazers) never get in the way, and Baker Mayfield in a weak division. You can do a lot worse than that.

“Now Philadelphia’s probably the job I would want if it came open – or Buffalo.”

That’s understandable as the Eagles have a star-studded defense and plenty of offensive weapons in Saquon Barkley, A.J. Brown and DeVonta Smith. The Bills have one of the league’s most dynamic quarterbacks in 28-year old Josh Allen. Yet both Philadelphia and Buffalo are 8-2 and currently leading their respective divisions.

Cowherd was then asked if he thought the head coaching jobs with the Jets, Bears, and the Giants would be better situations that the Bucs. Cowherd said that the talent that Licht has assembled would make him pick Tampa Bay over any of those teams.

“Tampa’s got good players,” Cowherd said. “Go back to that Jameis Winston team. The dude had 30 turnovers and they were like .500 (7-9 before Brady arrived in 2020 and Bucs went 11-5).

“It’s a weak division. I think Baker is more than capable of getting you to the playoffs and winning you games. You have a great G.M. and the Glazers don’t get in the way. I know the Glazers, they don’t get in the way. Baker Mayfield can win a playoff game. He’s won [a playoff game] in both conferences. You can do worse than a great G.M., solid ownership, a nice roster and Baker Mayfield. You can do way worse than that.”

Bill Belichick Wants To Coach Again In 2025

One thing is for sure, Bill Belichick wants to coach again in 2025 after missing out on the Atlanta Falcons job this year. Dallas is believed to be the front-runner, as owner Jerry Jones wants to not only make a splash, but also win another Super Bowl. With the Cowboys currently 3-6, Mike McCarthy’s future in Dallas is on shaky ground.

On a recent Pat McAfee Show appearance, Belichick recently said that NFL owners definitely pay attention to reports in the media when it comes to head coaches on the hot seat or head coaching vacancies.

“One hundred percent – one hundred percent,” Belichick said. “There’s a lot of times where if you read the Monday papers, you get the exact same questions from the owner when you meet with him later in the day. It’s almost like they read the columns and all and then, you know, whatever’s in the paper, that’s kind of the question. ‘Hey, why didn’t you blitz more? Hey, how come we didn’t run this play more? Hey, how come we didn’t, you know, we went for it on fourth down?’ Whatever it is. Whatever the columns are in the paper, a lot of times that’s what pops up in the owner’s meeting. It is what it is.”

It will be interesting to see if Bowles and the Bucs can win enough to make the postseason and save his job over the final seven weeks of the NFL season. Or if the Bucs will go in a different direction at head coach and possibly pursue the legendary Belichick, who turns 73 in April or former Tennessee head coach Mike Vrabel or consider promoting offensive coordinator Liam Coen.