Bucs reportedly had strong reaction to losing Liam Coen

“Liam Coen has his thoughts and the Buccaneers have their thoughts,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Friday, as shared by the JoeBucsFan website. “And you can believe whatever you want. I can tell you there’s two different schools of thought. I would just say this: In 20 years, this century, since the turn of the century — I don’t remember the last time I’ve heard one team this hot and bothered by a coach taking another deal.” 

Breer detailed how Coen avoided signing his new Buccaneers contract from Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning before “Coen’s agent got back to the Bucs and informed them that his client was tending to a personal matter.” Specifically, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reported Wednesday evening that “Coen contacted head coach Todd Bowles around 5 p.m. Thursday” and “said he had been with one of his kids, who had taken ill, at a doctor’s office.” 

Breer added that Coen also told Bowles “that things had materially changed in Jacksonville and that he was going to travel there to explore the opening.” 

Breer continued: “Within an hour of that phone call, a Bucs staffer got tipped off by someone in the Jaguars’ facility that Coen was already in the building.”

The rest, as the saying goes, is history. 

Understandably, Bowles and Co. could feel betrayed, but former NFL player and current analyst Ross Tucker is among those who have defended Coen: 

“There are a lot of different versions of what is going down,” Schefter added about the Coen situation. “I can just tell you that, I don’t remember when was the last time I heard a team that irate over a coaching decision.” 

The Buccaneers and Jaguars are not set to play each other next season. Perhaps the NFL could change that before the 2025 schedule is released this spring.