The need to take credit for something is an itch some people just need to scratch.
People like former Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians, who led the franchise to a Super Bowl win following the 2020 season.
Arians went on “The National Football Show” podcast on April 21 and wanted to make sure he got the credit for bringing 2-time Pro Bowl quarterback Baker Mayfield to the Buccaneers to replace Tom Brady after Brady’s second retirement in February 2023.
On the podcast, Arians claimed he was the one who told general manager Jason Licht to sign Mayfield to a 1-year, $3 million contract in March 2023. In 2 seasons as Tampa Bay’s starter, Mayfield is a 2-time Pro Bowler and has led the Buccaneers to consecutive NFC South Division titles.
Licht signed Mayfield to a 3-year, $100 million contract in March 2024.
“Yeah, that was one of my last decisions, you know, to get with Jason (Licht) and let’s go after this; I love this kid,” Arians said on April 21. “You know, when I was at CBS (in 2018), I did two (Browns games with Mayfield ), went to Browns practice on Friday. That locker room loved that kid. I mean, loved him. And the way he competed in a Friday practice, I was like, ‘This is my kind of guy.’ ”
If you’re a Buccaneers fan and think Arians’ timeline leaves some gaps in time that don’t make total sense, don’t worry. It really is confusing.
Arians retired in March 2022 after 3 seasons as Tampa Bay’s head coach and less than one month following Brady’s first retirement and subsequent decision to unretire after 40 days . It turned out to be a prescient move after the Buccaneers struggled to finish 8-9 in what turned out to be Brady’s final season .
Arians took on a role as Senior Football Consultant with the Buccaneers following his retirement — a role he still holds — which means he would have been in that largely ceremonial role when he instructed Licht to sign Mayfield on a “prove it” contract … and when current head coach Todd Bowles was headed into his second season.
‘No Risk It, No Biscuit’ Philosophy Made Arians Famous
Despite whatever personnel decisions Arians wants to take credit for that he may or may not have been behind, his bona fides as a coach on every level are unquestioned.
Following a record-setting career as quarterback at Virginia Tech, Arians went directly into coaching and was an offensive assistant at Mississippi State and at Alabama under legendary coach Paul “Bear” Bryant before becoming head coach at Temple, where Bowles was one of his starting cornerbacks.
After 6 seasons at Temple, Arians embarked on an NFL career that spanned the next 33 years until his retirement, with the exception of one season as Alabama’s offensive coordinator in 1997.
Arians won 2 Super Bowls as the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Steelers and spent 5 seasons as the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals from 2013 to 2017, where he became the franchise’s career wins leader and led the team to the NFC Championship Game following the 2015 season.
Arians’ riverboat gambler/never scared style of coaching — “No risk it, no biscuit” — made him famous in coaching circles and he set an NFL record as the oldest head coach to win a Super Bowl at 68 years old.
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