“Jason, I don’t want to hear about money.”
Bucco Bruce Arians used to say he loved guys playing on one-year deals and the fire that usually brought to the field.
Years ago, Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht gave his famous some-guys-need-“a-carrot” line, referring to the effects of cash incentives on players.
Todd Bowles? That’s not a thing for him.
Today, Joe asked Bowles whether he felt extra motivation this time of year when he was a player in a contract year.
Bowles gave a long and detailed “no” of an answer, which Joe appreciated.
“The free agent contract my rookie year was $70,000,” Bowles began. “My second year, when we won the Super Bowl, I started at safety I was [at] $85,000 and I made more in incentives than I did in my salary. We didn’t really have contract years. If you get hurt, somebody is taking your spot. You better get out and go home. You don’t have that kind of thing today – it’s a completely different game.
“You should play the same all of the time; you should practice the same all of the time. And that’s what we try and stress and preach, whether you’re getting paid or not getting paid. I mean, you didn’t get paid in college; they do now but they didn’t before. But you didn’t get paid in high school. It’s your love for the game that’s going to fuel you whether the contract comes or not. So you’ll play for the team you’re on, or you’ll play for somebody else, but either way, you better play.”
Joe asked because there are so many key Bucs in contract years, from Mike Evans and Lavonte David, to Zyon McCollum and, effectively, Jamel Dean.
Dean’s fat contract has no more guaranteed money remaining.
Haason Reddick and Logan Hall are in contract years along with Rachaad White, Cade Otton, Luke Goedeke and other key Bucs.
For Bowles, however, he just expects every player to be consistent professionals, leaving it all on the field for the love of the game. Thankfully, the Bucs roster is loaded with those kinds of players.