Category: Latest Team News

Report: Rob Gronkowski contacted Bucs about possible return

Rob Gronkowski had conversations with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last month about another potential reunion with Tom Brady

All season, Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans have been hopeful that tight end Rob Gronkowski would come out of retirement once again to rejoin Tom Brady and help the Bucs make another playoff run.

As it turns out, the future Hall of Famer reached out to the team about that possibility back in November, per Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.

Though they had multiple conversations around Thanksgiving, Gronkowski ultimately decided to remain retired for now, per Stroud.

“It was more of a conversation than anything else,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said, according to Stroud. “Usually, when you have to think about playing, you probably don’t want to play. When it’s just a discussion, I didn’t think much of it at the time.”

Gronkowski was an integral part of Tampa Bay’s success over the previous two seasons, including their Super Bowl run back in 2020. He recently posted a cryptic tweet about being “bored,” which led to speculation about a possible return to football, but ended up being nothing more than an advertisement for another upcoming endorsement deal.

For now, it looks like the Bucs will continue to push for the playoffs with veteran Cameron Brate, and rookies Cade Otton and Ko Kieft, splitting the reps at tight end in Gronk’s absence.

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Bucs rule out 5 players for Sunday night’s game vs. Cardinals

See who won’t be suiting up for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Sunday night’s game against the Arizona Cardinals

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without five players for Sunday night’s game against the Arizona Cardinals.

Defensive lineman Vita Vea, left tackle Donovan Smith, cornerback Jamel Dean, outside linebacker Carl Nassib, and outside linebacker Genard Avery have all been ruled out, Bucs head coach Todd Bowles confirmed to the media Friday.

Pro Bowl safety Antoine Winfield Jr. will be a game-time decision, while All-Pro right tackle Tristan Wirfs is expected to return after missing multiple games.

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Bucs OT Tristan Wirfs gets 2nd career Pro Bowl nod

Tampa Bay Buccaneers right tackle Tristan Wirfs has his second Pro Bowl honor in just his third NFL season

For the second time in his first three NFL seasons, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs is a Pro Bowler.

This year’s rosters were unveiled Wednesday night, despite the fact that there will be no actual Pro Bowl game this year, and Wirfs was the only member of the Bucs to make the cut.

Quarterback Tom Brady and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. were named first alternates, while defensive lineman Vita Vea, inside linebacker Devin White, guard Shaq Mason, and kicker Ryan Succop were named alternates.

Wirfs got his first Pro Bowl nod last year in just his second season, and was also named first-team All-Pro.

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Bengals defenders dunk on Tom Brady’s ‘fairly tough defense’ comment after 4 turnovers

The Cincinnati Bengals defense reminded Tom Brady of his comments from earlier in the week after forcing him into four turnovers Sunday

Heading into Sunday’s game, Tampa Bay Buccaneers evidently gave the Cincinnati Bengals defense some bulletin board material, calling their unit “fairly tough.”

After forcing the GOAT to turn the ball over four times in the third quarter as they mounted a furious comeback, a handful of Bengals defenders made sure to reference Brady’s remarks in their own postgame reactions:

Bucs inactives: Who’s in, who’s out vs. Bengals?

See who won’t be suiting up for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have released their list of inactive players for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, and it’s loaded with key players on both sides of the ball.

All-Pro right tackle Tristan Wirfs (ankle), defensive tackle Vita Vea (calf), cornerback Jamel Dean (toe) and wide receiver Julio Jones (knee), outside linebacker Carl Nassib (pectoral), and outside linebacker Genard Avery (abdomen/oblique) are all inactive due to injury.

Second-year quarterback Kyle Trask is the only healthy scratch for the Bucs.

The big news on the positive side for the Bucs? Both starting safeties, Pro Bowler Antoine Winfield Jr. and Mike Edwards, are both active after missing the last two games.

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Report: Bucs WR Julio Jones (knee) not expected to play vs. Bengals

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are expected to be without one of their Pro Bowl wide receivers Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals

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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will likely be without one of their Pro Bowl pass-catchers in Week 15.

Julio Jones is not expected to play in Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.

Jones, who was limited in practice all week by a knee injury, was listed as questionable on the team’s final injury report Friday. The future Hall of Famer might go through pregame warmups to test the injury, but it doesn’t sound optimistic, according to Rapoport.

If Jones can’t go, look for the Bucs to once again use a committee approach to the No. 3 receiver spot behind Pro Bowlers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, with Russell Gage and Scotty Miller splitting the lion’s share of the snaps.

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Bucs make roster moves ahead of Sunday’s game vs. Bengals

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are adding some reinforcements as they prepare for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are adding some reinforcements as they prepare for Week 15.

Wide receiver Deven Thompkins and linebacker J.J. Russell have been elevated from the practice squad to the active roster for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Thompkins made the most of his first chance to be the Bucs’ primary return man last week against the San Francisco 49ers, providing a spark after replacing the recently waived Jaelon Darden.

Russell will provide depth on defense and special teams for a Bucs team dealing with plenty of banged-up players this week.

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Bucs breaking out pewter alternate uniforms for Sunday’s game vs. Bengals

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be rocking their all-pewter alternate uniforms for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals

It might not be pretty on the scoreboard for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sunday, but at least they’ll look cool?

The Bucs are breaking out their all-pewter alternate uniforms for Sunday’s game against the red-hot Cincinnati Bengals.

It’s the first time this season the Bucs will be donning the pewter pants and jersey to match their usual helmet, as they look to bounce back from last week’s blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers, and remain in first place in the NFC South.

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Bucs HC Todd Bowles heaps praise on Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles knows his defense faces a tough challenge this week against the Cincinnati Bengals

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are coming off a blowout loss to the San Francisco 49ers, and things won’t get easier when the Cincinnati Bengals come to town Sunday.

One of the hottest teams in the NFL, the Bengals boast one of the league’s best quarterback/wide receiver tandems in Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase, and Bucs head coach Todd Bowles is well aware of the challenge they’ll present his defense.

“I don’t have all the adjectives that everybody said about him,” Bowles said Wednesday, when asked about Burrow. “He’s great, he’s poised in the pocket, he throws a great ball all over the field, he can throw at any angle, he can make any throw, he has some great receivers to throw to, he has a good understanding of the offense and the game, he can take advantage of what you’re trying to give him, he can run the ball when he has to run the ball, he can throw people open, he can use his feet. He has a knack for the game. Certain guys when they come out of college that young have a knack for the game already – he has it.”

“[He has] outstanding hands, outstanding size, [he is] very good at getting off the ball, his catch radius is enormous – him and Tee Higgins, actually – as soon as the ball touches his hands, he’s getting up-field right now,” Bowles said of Chase. “It’s rare to see somebody get up-field that quick with that size. He has a natural knack for the game and he looks great doing it.”

After giving up 35 points to a third-string rookie quarterback last week, Bowles and the Bucs defense obviously have their work cut out for them against the Bengals this weekend.

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Bucs make roster moves heading into Week 15

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are shuffling their roster a bit as they prepare for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are shuffling their roster a bit as they prepare for Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals.

Cornerback Anthony Chesley has been promoted from the practice squad to the active roster, and outside linebacker Hamilcar Rashed Jr. to the practice squad.

Chesley fills the empty spot on the Bucs’ 53-man roster that was vacated when the team waived rookie linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi on Tuesday.

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