Bucs’ Joel Glazer says there’s room for a third Lombardi Trophy

ORLANDO — These are good times to be the Glazer family.

Their Bucs team has made the playoffs four years in a row, navigated a successful quarterback transition from Tom Brady to Baker Mayfield, locked up some iconic players in free agency and have stability with coach Todd Bowles and general manager Jason Licht.

As the NFL meetings wound down Tuesday, co-owner Joel Glazer talked about everything from the future of Raymond James Stadium to winning another Super Bowl. (Some answers edited for brevity and clarity.)

How would you describe last season?

It didn’t make sense last year where everybody had us (toward the bottom of the league) but that’s what made it even more special and as the season went on, it made it more fun. I think we’re going to build off last year (second round of playoffs) and looking forward to this year and we’ve got a lot of players back so we’re looking forward to this season.

The Bucs started 3-1, then lost a bunch of games but rallied back. What was the ride like in 2023?

Frankly, when we had that dip, when you look at those games, they were relatively close games. So it wasn’t that the performance was completely dropping off. It’s just sometimes some things weren’t going your way. So the team fought through it, Todd did a great job of keeping everybody onboard and headed in the right direction. Then when the turnaround came, it made it even more exciting and it was a lot of fun. But we didn’t quite get as far as we wanted to. Our goal is always higher and looking to build this year.

General manger Jason Licht was able to re-sign so many of the team’s own free agents. How do you feel about the job he did?

Jason does a great job. His whole staff does a great job preparing and working the contracts. But then again, it also says a lot for players wanting to come back. You have a team with a bunch of players who want to be with you, that are excited to be with you. Not only everyone who came back is great off the field, but you’ve got great guys in the community. That’s what makes it special.

Tom Brady retired. How fortunate was it to have a player like Baker Mayfield step into those big shoes and then lock him up for three years?

Baker stepped up and really did a great job fulfilling that role, some very difficult footsteps to follow. Everyone embraced him. The team embraced him, the community embraced him, so it was a great transition. Hard to do but he successfully did it.

How do you define a franchise QB?

At the end of the day, it’s about winning. The quarterback is obviously a key component to winning. But someone you can count on, reliable, consistent, leads your team. To me, that’s what’s important.

Do you plan any more improvements to Raymond James Stadium?

That’s something all teams are looking at, making sure they keep the fan experience up to date. Things have changed over the years. All sports teams have put a emphasis of that. We did a bunch of improvements seven to eight years ago. Always looking at upgrading and improving, and we’ll continue to do that.

RJS is nearly 25 years old. Will you be needing a new stadium soon?

That’s not something … we’re looking at what we have and how we can improve it.

What about the creamsicle throwbacks. Any plans for them this year?

Everybody loves the throwbacks. To have it back (last season), I know everyone in our organization was thrilled and had a great time with it, and it’s something that I’m sure we’ll look into.

Jason Licht has been the GM for 10 years. What kind of job is he doing?

We’re lucky to have Jason in all aspects that we do. The last few years, whether it’s drafting or free agency or cap management, Jason and his staff do a wonderful job. Great working relationship. A great organization that he built, and stability is key I think in this sport. It’s constant change that causes all that instability.

What did you like most about the 2023 season?

I think it was the low expectations (from outside the organization). I didn’t agree with the low expectations, but the low expectations and then kind of proving doubters wrong and growing as the season went on. That, to me, is always the bigger thing. You saw that with this team. We fought to the end.

What did it mean to re-sign Lavonte David and Mike Evans?

It was great for our organization. It was great. Lavonte David, I call him Mr. Buc. I mean, that guy has been unbelievable. Unbelievable on the field. Unbelievable off the field. Nobody cares more than Lavonte David. To have him with us for so long — to have players stay with the organization for a long time — these days with free agency, with players moving around. It’s rare. It’s unique.

The Glazer family has owned the Bucs for nearly 30 years. What’s that been like?

It’s great but you always want more. You get a taste of it and you get a ring, a second ring, you want a third. That’s the beauty of the sport because you should never be satisfied. You should want to do more, be better. A loss pains us as much as anybody and a win, it’s as enjoyable for us as the fans. Always want to do more, always want to strive and keep pushing.

So there’s a spot for another trophy?

There’s a spot for more trophies.

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