TAMPA, Fla. — Todd Bowles is staying in Tampa.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' defensive coordinator just inked a new three-year deal that expires after the 2023 season, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
Citing a source, ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter says the fresh contract keeps Bowles as the highest-paid defensive coordinator in the NFL.
"He did have one year left on his deal, but this contract replaces that, and doesn’t preclude him from taking another head coaching job," Schefter tweeted.
As Yahoo Sports points out, Bowles was expected to interview for the head coaching job with the Detroit Lions during the offseason. But, that fell through when the franchise hired Dan Campbell.
"There’s also the possibility that the Bucs could find themselves looking for a successor to Bruce Arians in the next few years and Bowles could be a consideration to replace him if all continues to run smoothly in Tampa," Pro Football Talk's Josh Alper writes in Yahoo.
Bowles helped lead the Bucs to their Super Bowl victory last season. But, he's been laying the groundwork for a while.
During his time with Tampa Bay, he's emphasized stopping the run. He helped transform the Bucs from a 24th-ranked run defense in 2018 to the league's top run defense in 2019, the team boasts on its website.
Immediately prior to joining the Bucs, Bowles spent four seasons as the head coach of the New York Jets.