The latest chapter in what has been the wildest offseason in NFL history takes place in Tampa Bay. Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians is retiring from coaching and will be moving into a front-office role as a Senior Football Consultant with the organization, the team announced. Defensive coordinator Todd Bowles has been elevated to head coach. 

While this comes as the latest shocker to scroll across the NFL ticker, Arians told NBC Sports and the Los Angeles Times that he had been thinking about making this move at the NFL Scouting Combine a month ago. He also thought about retirement following the Buccaneers’ Super Bowl LVI victory in February 2021. Of course, Arians instead elected to try to repeat this past season, and the Buccaneers were eliminated in the divisional round.

“I have spent most of the last 50 years of my life on the sidelines as a football coach in one form or another,” Arians said in his statement released by the team. “Today, I have made the decision to move from the sidelines into another role with the Buccaneers front office, assisting Jason Licht and his staff. I love football. I love the relationships, the strategy, the competition—everything. It has been one hell of a ride, but I know this is the right time for me to make this transition.”

Naturally, the timing of this retirement from coaching will cause many to speculate that it could have something to do with Tom Brady deciding to come out of retirement himself. There had been rumors that the pair’s relationship had soured over Brady’s tenure in Tampa Bay, but Arians noted that the two have a “great relationship off the field.” In fact, Brady deciding to unretire ultimately paved the way for this decision because Arians knew that the team would be competitive in his departure. 

“It hit me after the Super Bowl,” Arians told NBC Sports and the L.A Times. “I thought really hard about going out on top. Then it was like, nah, let’s go for two. [The 2021 season] was a grind with all the injuries but still winning and getting to where we got. Immediately after, two to three weeks afterwards [I thought] … if I quit, my coaches get fired. I couldn’t do it then.

“Tom was kind of the key. When Tom decided to come back … and all of these guys back now, it’s the perfect timing for me just to go into the front office and still have the relationships that I love.”

Meanwhile, Bowles was Arians’ recommended successor and is happy that he is adopting a stable roster as he ascends to head coach. 

“Succession has always been huge for me,” Arians said. “With the organization in probably the best shape it’s been in its history, with Tom Brady coming back … I’d rather see Todd in position to be successful and not have to take some [crappy] job. I’m probably retiring next year anyway, in February. So, I control the narrative right now. I don’t control it next February because [if] Brady gets hurt, we go 10-7, and it’s an open interview for the job … I got 31 [coaches and their] families that depend on me. My wife is big on not letting all those families down.”

Arians ends his coaching career with an 80-48-1 record in the regular season to go along with a 6-3 mark in the playoffs. 

Stick with CBS Sports as this story develops.