Why did Bruce Arians retire despite Tom Brady's sensational return from retirement?

Bruce Arians has officially announced that he will be retiring from his position as the head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and moving into a new role in the front office during the 2022 NFL offseason. Assistant coach and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles has been promoted to the new head coach in a corresponding move.

There has been a lot of speculation and many rumors about why Bruce Arians chose to retire now. It's relatively late in the 2022 NFL offseason for any team to make a head coaching change, causing several different theories about why he made the decision. They range from health-related issues to a possible feud with quarterback Tom Brady.

Tom Brady famously retired at the beginning of the offseason, only to change his mind a few weeks later and announce that he would be returning for the 2022 NFL season. There are rumors that Tom Brady gave the Buccaneers an ultimatum, possibly saying he would only return for another season if they made a change at head coach.

While neither of them has necessarily admitted to it publicly, there have been many rumors over the last several months that Arians and Brady don't exactly get along with each other. They have different philosophies and how things should be done in Tampa Bay. It's possible this had something to do with Brady's return and Arians' departure, though it's simply a rumor.

According to Arians, his decision to step away from the position was entirely his own with Todd Bowles in mind. He says he wants to set Bowles up for success and believes he is handing the team over to him in an extraordinary situation. Bowles is his friend and long-time staff member, so Arian wanted to help him out as best as possible.

Here is Arians' complete statement on his retirement:

Todd Bowles has had a long and successful career as a defensive coordinator and spent a brief period as the head coach of the New York Jets, where he ultimately failed to reach their goals. Thanks to Arians, he will now get his second opportunity as head coach in a much better situation.

Bruce Arians' head coaching career

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians

Bruce Arians has spent eight seasons as the head coach in the NFL. He spent five years with the Arizona Cardinals and three seasons with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Arians has an impressive overall regular-season career record of 80-48-1 while posting an excellent 6-3 postseason record. He helped the Buccaneers win Super Bowl LV for the 2020 NFL season.