Buccaneers Re-Sign WR Sterling Shepard
As Jason Licht‘s staff has checked in again with a few notable re-signings this offseason, the veteran GM is getting into the news-breaking act regarding his latest. Sterling Shepard will stay in Tampa for another season, Licht announced.
Shepard rejoined former Oklahoma teammate Baker Mayfield last year, and the former injury-prone Giant played a supporting role during a season in which Chris Godwin and Mike Evans missed time. With Godwin coming back, Shepard will join him. It is a one-year deal that guarantees Shepard $500K and can max out at $2.25MM, NFL.com’s Mike Garafolo tweets.
The Bucs signed Shepard after the draft last year, bringing him in after Mayfield had reached out about the receiver’s interest in playing another season. Shepard enjoyed a bigger role than he had in his Giants finale, catching 32 passes for 354 yards and a touchdown. Coming off a 2022 Achilles tear, Shepard only caught 10 passes for 57 yards with the Giants after having re-signed with the team that drafted him. Shepard, 32, also has an ACL tear on his medical sheet.
Tampa Bay brought back Godwin on a three-year, $66MM deal. Godwin had said he turned down several million — ESPN indicated that number may have been as high as $30MM in total (via the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud). While it is not known if Godwin turned down a four-year offer for more nonguaranteed money — as it would be a bit difficult to imagine he passed on anything close to $30MM in additional guarantees — the Bucs have continually proven they can retain talent. Godwin and Shepard join stalwart linebacker Lavonte David, guard starter Ben Bredeson and rotational outside linebacker Anthony Nelson in re-signing this offseason.
Shepard has fallen off the pace he had been on during his early Giants years. Totaling at least 575 receiving yards each season from 2016-20, the former Odell Beckham Jr. New York sidekick has not eclipsed 375 in a season since. But the injury-prone slot target did help the Bucs while Godwin was on the shelf last year. He will attempt to do so again, most likely settling in as a No. 4 receiver for a team that saw promise from third-round rookie Jalen McMillan down the stretch last year. McMillan’s time as a top-two option is on hold, but the Bucs — who also roster former sixth-rounder Trey Palmer — have depth secured in Shepard.
Buccaneers To Sign WR Sterling Shepard To Active Roster
Sterling Shepard has made a pair of appearances with the Buccaneers this season as a gameday elevation, but he is now set to receive a more permanent opportunity. The veteran wideout is being signed to Tampa Bay’s active roster, NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reports. 
Players can be designated as a gameday elevation from the practice squad up to three times, so Tampa Bay could have taken that route once more before making today’s move. However, Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer are both dealing with injuries, leaving the Bucs thin at wideout behind Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Shepard represents a veteran candidate for the WR3 role on a temporary basis.
The 31-year-old remained with the Giants for an eighth season in 2023, doing so after an Achilles tear. Shepard was used sparingly, though, and his 15% snap share was by far the lowest of his career. He took a deal with the Buccaneers in June after being recruited by former college teammate Baker Mayfield. That agreement did not leave Shepard on the team’s initial roster, but to little surprise he re-signed to the practice squad after cutdowns. Now, the Oklahoma product is positioned to handle a rotational role in Tampa.
Shepard was not targeted during his Bucs debut, but he was much more involved on Sunday during the team’s win against the Eagles. The former second-rounder caught three of five targets for 51 yards, and a continuation of that production would help complement Evans and Godwin while Tampa Bay deals with other injuries in the receiving corps. Shepard could of course help his value on a new deal in the offseason by enjoying a strong spell on the active roster over the coming weeks.
To make room on the roster, the Buccaneers waived Ben Stille, per a team announcement. The 26-year-old has made 15 appearances in his career, including three this season. Stille will be a practice squad candidate for Tampa Bay provided he clears waivers.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/28/24
Minor transactions and practice squad callups for the Week 4 weekend:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: DT Angelo Blackson, T Charlie Heck
Atlanta Falcons
- Elevated: G Matt Hennessy
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: RB Chris Collier
- Placed on IR: CB Jalyn Armour-Davis
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: OLB Thomas Incoom, DE DeShawn Williams
Chicago Bears
- Elevated: DT Byron Cowart, S Tarvarius Moore
- Placed on IR: TE Stephen Carlson (story)
Cleveland Browns
- Elevated: CB Tony Brown, TE Geoff Swaim
Denver Broncos
- Elevated: LB Levelle Bailey, S Tanner McCalister
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: CB Kamal Hadden, CB Robert Rochell
Houston Texans
- Elevated: RB J.J. Taylor
Indianapolis Colts
- Elevated: DT Adam Gotsis, CB David Long
Jacksonville Jaguars
- Signed to active roster: TE Josiah Deguara
- Elevated: CB Christian Braswell, LB Tanner Muse
Las Vegas Raiders
- Signed to active roster: TE John Samuel Shenker
- Elevated: WR Alex Bachman, OLB K’Lavon Chaisson
- Waived: WR Ramel Keyton
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: LB Blake Lynch, C Sam Mustipher
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: WR Xavier Smith, CB Ahkello Witherspoon
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: OLB Bo Richter, TE Robert Tonyan
New England Patriots
- Signed to active roster: CB Isaiah Bolden
- Elevated: DT Trysten Hill, TE Mitchell Wilcox
- Placed on IR: CB Alex Austin
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: G Kyle Hergel
New York Jets
- Elevated: DT Bruce Hector, LB Marcelino McCrary-Ball
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: WR Parris Campbell, WR John Ross
Pittsburgh Steelers
- Elevated: CB Thomas Graham Jr., RB Aaron Shampklin
San Francisco 49ers
- Signed to active roster: DE Sam Okuayinonu
- Elevated: DT Evan Anderson, S Jaylen Mahoney
- Placed on IR: DT Javon Hargrave (story), LB Curtis Robinson (story)
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: P Trenton Gill, WR Sterling Shepard
Washington Commanders
- Elevated: DE Andre Jones Jr., RB Chris Rodriguez Jr.
Minor NFL Transactions: 9/21/24
Today’s minor NFL transactions:
Arizona Cardinals
- Elevated: T Jackson Barton, T Charlie Heck
Baltimore Ravens
- Elevated: RB Chris Collier, CB Ka’dar Hollman
Carolina Panthers
- Elevated: DE DeShawn Williams
Chicago Bears
- Elevated: DE Byron Cowart, WR Collin Johnson
- Placed on IR: RB Travis Homer
Cleveland Browns
- Signed to active roster: RB Gary Brightwell, TE Blake Whiteheart
- Elevated: CB Tony Brown, TE Geoff Swaim
Dallas Cowboys
- Elevated: DE Carl Lawson, LB Nick Vigil
Detroit Lions
- Elevated: WR Tim Patrick, WR Allen Robinson
Green Bay Packers
- Elevated: QB Sean Clifford, CB Robert Rochell
Houston Texans
- Elevated: RB J.J. Taylor, LB Zeke Turner
Las Vegas Raiders
- Elevated: CB Sam Webb
Los Angeles Chargers
- Elevated: LB Shaquille Quarterman
Los Angeles Rams
- Elevated: TE Nikola Kalinic, WR Xavier Smith
Miami Dolphins
- Signed to active roster: QB Tim Boyle
- Elevated: WR Dee Eskridge, WR Erik Ezukanma
- Placed on IR: WR Grant DuBose
Minnesota Vikings
- Elevated: OLB Bo Richter, TE Robert Tonyan
New Orleans Saints
- Elevated: LB Isaiah Stalbird
New York Giants
- Elevated: CB Art Green, LB Ty Summers
Philadelphia Eagles
- Elevated: WR Parris Campbell, TE Jack Stoll
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- Elevated: DL Mike Greene, WR Sterling Shepard
Tennessee Titans
- Elevated: LB Luke Gifford, RB Jabari Small
Players like Hollman, Vigil, Webb, and Quarterman will now be getting called up for the third time this season. The NFL rules limit a practice squad player to three standard gameday elevations per contract. If their teams want to get them into more games in the future, the normal route is for them to be signed to the active roster after this weekend then released/waived and signed to new practice squad deals, starting their three-game count over.
Shy Tuttle‘s foot injury will keep him off the field for Week 3, as the Panthers announced that the defensive tackle has been downgraded from doubtful to out. The Panthers called up Williams to temporarily take the open roster spot. The defensive end started 10 of his 16 appearances for the Panthers last season, and he landed back on Carolina’s practice squad last month after spending the preseason with the Bills.
The Browns announced a handful of moves ahead of their game with the Giants tomorrow. Notably, the team didn’t promote any offensive tackles, which provided some optimism surrounding the availability of their injured tackles. While Jedrick Wills Jr. is expected to play (per Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal), Jack Conklin will not (per Tony Grossi of 850 ESPN Cleveland). Conklin hasn’t played since Week 1 of the 2023 season while recovering from a torn ACL and MCL. He practiced this week and was initially listed as questionable for tomorrow’s game, but it sounds like a new hamstring injury is the culprit for his Week 3 absence.
With both Joe Mixon and Dameon Pierce set to miss Sunday’s trip to Minnesota, the Texans are bringing up Taylor off the practice squad. Taylor will back up Cam Akers and Dare Ogunbowale against the Vikings this weekend.
Wednesday NFL Transactions: NFC South
Following the 53-man roster cutdown deadline Tuesday, many teams will make slight tweaks to their rosters. In addition to waiver claims, teams can begin constructing their 16-man practice squads today. These Buccaneers, Falcons, Panthers and Saints moves are noted below.
Atlanta Falcons
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- WR Chris Blair, CB Natrone Brooks, S Dane Cruikshank, OL Julién Davenport, WR Dylan Drummond, TE John FitzPatrick, DL Demone Harris, CB Kevin King, DT Zion Logue, DL LaCale London, WR Jesse Matthews, OL Andrew Stueber, RB Carlos Washington Jr.
Carolina Panthers
Signed:
Claimed:
- CB Shemar Bartholomew, CB Tariq Castro-Fields, CB Keenan Isaac, LB Jon Rhattigan, LB Jamie Sheriff
Waived:
- WR Jalen Coker
Waived from IR:
Signed to practice squad:
- G Mason Brooks, RB Mike Boone, S Alex Cook, LB Kenny Dyson, TE Jordan Matthews, QB Jack Plummer, DL T.J. Smith, DL Walter Palmore, LB Chandler Wooten
New Orleans Saints
Signed:
Claimed:
Signed to practice squad:
- S Johnathan Abram, S Ugo Amadi, WR Kevin Austin, S Millard Bradford, LB Isaiah Stalbird, TE Treyton Welch
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Signed:
Claimed:
Waived:
Signed to practice squad:
- S Marcus Banks, DL C.J. Brewer, DL Mike Greene, LB Antonio Grier, OLB Daniel Grzesiak, OL Luke Haggard, LB Vi Jones, QB Michael Pratt, WR Sterling Shepard, TE Tanner Taula, P Seth Vernon, RB D.J. Williams, S Rashad Wisdom
Buccaneers Set 53-Man Roster
The Buccaneers surprised a bit in 2023 without Tom Brady in the lineup. With Baker Mayfield leading the way, the team managed to win their division and return to the postseason for the fourth-straight season. Before the team can look to make it five consecutive trips to the playoffs, the organization had to make some difficult roster decisions today. The team announced the following moves as they set their 53-man roster:
Released:
- WR Sterling Shepard (story)
- WR Cody Thompson
- LS Zach Triner
- TE David Wells
- QB John Wolford
Waived:
- S Marcus Banks
- DL C.J. Brewer
- TE Sal Cannella
- P Nolan Cooney
- DL Judge Culpepper
- G Xavier Delgado
- DL Mike Greene
- LB Antonio Grier
- OLB Daniel Grzesiak
- T Luke Haggard
- CB Andrew Hayes
- CB Keenan Isaac
- RB Ramon Jefferson
- WR Cephus Johnson
- G Ryan Johnson
- C Avery Jones
- WR Latreal Jones
- LB Vi Jones
- WR Tanner Knue
- DL Brandon Matterson
- CB Chris McDonald
- T Lorenz Metz
- WR Ryan Miller
- OLB Jay Person
- TE Tanner Taula
- WR Raleigh Webb
- RB D.J. Williams
- S Rashad Wisdom
Waived/injured:
- LB Kalen DeLoach
- OLB Shaun Peterson
- DL Lwal Uguak
Placed on IR:
- RB Chase Edmonds (story)
- WR Rakim Jarrett (designated to return)
The Buccaneers have continued their trend of building around draft picks. As Greg Auman of FOX Sports points out, 44 of Tampa Bay’s 53 players were either drafted by the organization or joined as an undrafted free agent. Among starters, the only players who didn’t join the organization as rooks are QB Baker Mayfield and guard Ben Bredeson.
The team will temporarily roll with only a pair of quarterbacks in Mayfield and backup Kyle Trask. John Wolford could have brought some starting experience to the QB room, as the former Ram started four games during his time in Los Angeles. The veteran also started the 2023 campaign on Tampa Bay’s p-squad before earning a promotion, so there’s a chance he follows a similar path this year.
Buccaneers To Release WR Sterling Shepard
Sterling Shepard‘s reunion with Baker Mayfield is on hold. The Buccaneers are releasing the veteran wide receiver, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. This is unlikely to be the end of the line for the injury-prone wide receiver, however.
As a vested veteran, Shepard will pass straight to free agency. The Bucs have an emergency role in mind for the longtime Giant, with Rapoport adding the team is holding a practice squad spot. Shepard, who played with Mayfield at Oklahoma, could join the team’s P-squad Wednesday.
Shepard, 31, signed with the Bucs in June, doing so after his 2023 Giants season featured few opportunities. The Giants brought Shepard back after another major injury — an Achilles tear sustained midway through the 2022 season — but used him as a backup. Even that overstates how much Shepard played in his eighth Giants season. Shepard logged just 142 offensive snaps in 15 games last season, catching 10 passes for 57 yards and a touchdown.
Tampa Bay will run back its Mike Evans–Chris Godwin tandem for an eighth season, re-signing the perennial 1,000-yard receiver just before free agency. The team also returns 2023 draftee Trey Palmer and used a third-round pick on Washington’s Jalen McMillan. Shepard will join Rakim Jarrett in being left off the 53-man roster; the second-year receiver is expected to be placed on IR to open the year.
Formerly an Odell Beckham Jr. sidekick in New York, Shepard received an extension and logged several more seasons after the team traded the once-dynamic wideout. Shepard has not topped 700 receiving yards in a season since 2018, though he did reach 656 in 2020. The veteran slot player teamed with Mayfield in 2015 at Oklahoma and was in communication with his former college quarterback this offseason, leading to this Bucs agreement.
Shepard will soon be tied to a lower-cost deal with Tampa Bay, should he want to accept a deal to join a P-squad. This would be a first for the former second-round pick, but given his injury history (35 missed games since 2019), a Tampa taxi squad stay might be his only option to remain in the NFL.
NFL Contract Details: Rookies, Andrews, Shepard
Normally, the details of rookie contract signings don’t draw much note from the media. Most facets of the rookie contract are not up for negotiation, so by the book numbers don’t tend to interest the NFL world. Lately, though, NFL teams have gotten creative with how they deal with rookie deals, usually rewarding first- and second-round picks with guaranteed money.
Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 noted three second-round picks whose deals were reported recently. New Commanders cornerback Mike Sainristil out of Michigan’s rookie deal will see the base salaries of his 2024 and 2025 seasons fully guaranteed and $897K of $1.5MM guaranteed from his 2026 salary. Dolphins rookie offensive tackle Patrick Paul from Houston will see similar guarantees. All of his base salary for 2024 and 2025 will be guaranteed along with $413K of his 2026 salary worth $1.42MM. Lastly, Cowboys rookie pass rusher out of Western Michigan, Marshawn Kneeland, will see his first two years fully guaranteed, as well. Kneeland will also see $322K of his 2026 base salary (worth a total of $1.42MM) guaranteed.
Here are some other details from recent contracts around the NFL:
- We recently saw the Patriots grant center David Andrews a raise in a new extension. Ben Volin of the Boston Globe gives us further details on the new contract. He notes that Andrews was guaranteed $1.75MM of his $5MM for 2024. He also reports that the deal will reduce Andrews’ cap impact next year from $8.43MM to $6.68MM.
- The Buccaneers recently signed former Giants receiver Sterling Shepard to a one-year, $1.38MM deal. Wilson of KPRC2 tells us that Shepard will be able to earn a $50K roster bonus if he’s on the active roster by Week 1 of the season. He’ll also have the opportunity to earn an additional $6,911 per game in active roster bonuses for a potential season total of $117,500.
WR Sterling Shepard Addresses Bucs Deal
Sterling Shepard will not be with the Giants in 2024, but he will attempt to continue his career with the Buccaneers. The veteran wideout agreed to a Tampa Bay deal on Thursday which came together in relatively short order. 
While in conversation with veteran NFL reporter Josina Anderson, Shepard explained that quarterback Baker Mayfield reached out earlier this week to see if he was prepared to play another season in the NFL. The two were teammates at Oklahoma, and a reunion was one of the scenarios Shepard was willing to consider in the event he committed to suiting up for the 2024 campaign.
The 31-year-old noted that he “turned done other opportunities” before a potential Bucs deal came on his radar. Mayfield informed Shepard that his name was being floated by Tampa Bay with respect to interest, which paved the way for the latter’s agent to reach out. A tryout was arranged, and Shepard’s performance earned him a contract and the opportunity to carve out a role on Tampa’s receiver depth chart.
Mike Evans – who signed a two-year deal including $29MM fully guaranteed this offseason – remains the Buccaneers’ top option in the passing game. Fellow Pro Bowler Chris Godwin is under contract for one more year, although his future is less certain at the moment. Tampa Bay also has a pair of recent draft investments (2023 sixth-rounder Trey Palmer and 2024 third-rounder Jalen McMillan) set to play a role on offense this year.
Shepard will look to earn playing time as part of that group. The former second-rounder had a consistent New York tenure from 2016-20, but injuries limited him to 10 games across the next two campaigns. Last season, he occupied a minor role on a Giants team transitioning to younger options at the receiver spot. Shepard will now have an unexpected opportunity to re-build his value to an extent while playing with Mayfield for the first time since 2015.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Shepard said (via Jared and Paul Schwartz of the New York Post).“I can’t say I wanted to experience that, I always wanted to be a Giant but I’m not mad at it, man. It’s a really good situation, they have a really good football team, really talented football team and I get to be reunited with my boy and get to play with him a little bit. I’m excited about it.”
Bucs, WR Sterling Shepard Agree To Deal
After eight years in New York, Sterling Shepard is set to join a new team for the first time in his career. The veteran wideout has an agreement in place with the Buccaneers, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
To little surprise, Garafolo notes this will be a one-year pact. Many free agents still on the market this deep into the offseason take on deals of that length as they attempt to use the summer as a means of carving out a roster spot. In Shepard’s case, doing so would give Tampa Bay an experienced pass-catching option. He will receive $1.21MM on the veteran salary benefit, Greg Auman of Fox Sports adds.
The 31-year-old has played 90 games, including 74 starts. Shepard proved to be a consistent producer with the Giants, recording between 586 and 872 yards each year from 2016-20. He was a favorite of both Eli Manning and Daniel Jones, drawing at least 83 targets every season during that span. Injuries have proven to be a hindrance since then, however.
Shepard suffered an Achilles tear in December 2021, limiting him to seven games. That was followed by a torn ACL early in the 2022 campaign, which led to further missed time and minimal production. The Giants’ longest-tenured player entered last offseason on the roster bubble after signing another pact for the veteran’s minimum. Shepard played 15 games in 2023, but he made just 10 catches; New York elected to go in a different direction this year at the WR spot.
Now, a reunion with quarterback Baker Mayfield is in store. He and Shepard were teammates at Oklahoma, and strong play with a familiar face during training camp could allow the latter to secure a spot on the depth chart. Tampa Bay has Mike Evans and Chris Godwin in place for at least one more season, and the team also rosters Trey Palmer along with third-round rookie Jalen McMillan.
Shortly after moving on from returner Deven Thompkins, the Bucs added Cody Thompson to the receiver mix. Shepard will be competing with the latter for reps during the summer as he attempts to rebound from the missed time and underwhelming totals of the past three years. Remaining healthy in 2024 would go a long way to meeting both goals while also helping his free agent stock.