Tampa Bay Buccaneers Head Coach Todd Bowles is going to have a greater impact on the NFL rulebook and other competitive aspects of the game of football.
On Friday, the NFL announced that Bowles has been added to its Competition Committee, becoming the fourth current head coach in that influential group. The Pittsburgh Steelers' Mike Tomlin has been on the committee since 2013, while the Los Angeles Rams' Sean McVay and the Buffalo Bills' Sean McDermott were added earlier this year.
Buccaneers Hall of Famer John Lynch, who is now the San Francisco 49ers' general manager, has also been appointed to the Competition Committee. The additions of Bowles and Lynch increase the committee's ranks to 10 members. This is the current formation of that committee:
- Rich McKay, Atlanta Falcons CEO (co-chairman)
- Stephen Jones, Dallas Cowboys COO (co-chairman)
- Katie Blackburn, Cincinnati Bengals executive vice president
- Todd Bowles, Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach
- Chris Grier, Miami Dolphins general manager
- John Lynch, San Francisco 49ers general manager
- John Mara, New York Giants president, CEO and owner
- Sean McDermott, Buffalo Bills head coach
- Sean McVay, Los Angeles Rams head coach
- Mike Tomlin, Pittsburgh Steelers head coach
The Competition Committee was first created by Commissioner Pete Rozelle in 1968, replacing the previous Rules Committee. The NFL Football Operations website explains that the committee "reviews all competitive aspects of the game, including (but not limited to) playing rules, roster regulations, technology, game-day operations and player protection.
The Competition Committee is most known for its role in the league's annual rule changes. Through feedback from all 32 teams and collaboration with coaches, general managers and players leading up to the NFL Scouting Combine, the committee gathers input about potential ammendments to the rules. While clubs can propose rule changes, too, the majority of the proposals generally come from the committee. For instance, this year's proposal – and eventual rule change – to ban the swivel hip drop tackle came from the Competition Committee and was part of the league's continuing efforts to make the game safer for players. The committee also proposed what has proved to be another significant change to the league in 2024: a complete overhaul of the kickoff process.
The committee presents a report to team owners at the NFL annual meeting, and all proposals must be approved by 75% of the clubs.
Bowles brings more than three decades of NFL experience to the committee, as both a player and a coach. He joined Bruce Arians' Tampa Bay staff as the defensive coordinator in 2019 and was elevated to head coach in 2022. He also previously served as the New York Jets' head coach from 2015-18.
