The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have won three straight NFC South titles going into the 2024 NFL season. But that's not stopping many experts from favoring the Atlanta Falcons, who spent big at quarterback this offseason. And Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht isn't surprised.
"We're kind of used to it," Licht told "The Pat McAfee Show," per NBC Sports. "I sometimes feel like, down here in Tampa, we're in witness protection. I don't want to say we get s--- on, but there's kind of a lack of respect."
The Buccaneers, after all, came within one win of an NFC championship appearance in 2023, thanks in part to a resurgent season from quarterback Baker Mayfield. They're just four years removed from winning the Super Bowl. And Licht also drew high marks around the NFL for retaining Mayfield, along with other core pieces like wide receiver Mike Evans, in free agency. All that said, he thinks plenty of others are slow to acknowledge their moves.
"Like Lavonte David, I think, is a Hall of Fame-type player," Licht said. "He doesn't get enough credit as he should. Mike Evans just recently started getting talked about as a future Hall of Famer. So, we're used to it, but you kind of use it as ammo."
