Jason Licht
General Manager, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Regional Board Members, Tampa Bay
Jason Licht was named the fifth general manager in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise history on January 21, 2014. Licht owns more than two decades of scouting and player personnel experience with six organizations. In 25 NFL seasons, including one as a coach, the clubs that Licht has worked for have amassed a 209-191 (.523) record, 10 playoff appearances, eight division championships, five conference championships and two Super Bowl titles.
In 2020, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs, 31-9, at Raymond James Stadium in Super Bowl LV. Twelve of Tampa Bay’s 22 starters in the Super Bowl were drafted by Licht, including all five members of the team’s starting defensive backfield. All but two of the players on the team’s championship roster were acquired by Licht. Tom Brady, the game’s most valuable player, was the most notable of many key acquisitions Licht made last offseason, propelling the Buccaneers to the second championship in franchise history. Following the team’s historic Super Bowl win, Licht oversaw a similarly historic offseason, bringing back every starter from the championship team, becoming the first defending Super Bowl champion to do so in the salary cap era.
Licht’s career has intersected with some of the NFL’s greatest head coaches, including Don Shula, Jimmy Johnson, Bill Belichick and Andy Reid. In all, Licht has worked alongside seven head coaches who have led a team to a Super Bowl (Shula, Johnson, Belichick, Reid, Pete Carroll, Lovie Smith, Ken Whisenhunt) and seven who have won AP Coach of the Year honors in their careers (Shula, Johnson, Belichick, Reid, Smith, Dom Capers and Bruce Arians).
Licht began his NFL career with the Miami Dolphins in 1995, where he worked as a scouting department assistant, and has included the Carolina Panthers, New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, Arizona Cardinals and, currently, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Licht played linebacker and guard at the University of Nebraska from 1989-91 before transferring to Nebraska-Wesleyan, where he was an all-conference defensive tackle. He and his wife, Blair, have three children: Charlie, Zoe and Theo.