The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced 38 roster moves on Sunday, reducing their team to the required 53 players ahead of the 6:00 p.m. ET deadline. This included waiving 33 players, who are now subject to waiver claims for the next 24 hours, and terminating the contracts of three vested veterans who will immediately become free agents.
Among the 33 players waived, three were designated with injuries and will revert to the Buccaneers' injured reserve list if not claimed. The team utilized its maximum two options to place cornerback Josh Hayes and wide receiver David Sills V on injured reserve, making them eligible to return after missing at least four games during the regular season.
Notable cuts included quarterbacks Jake Browning and Connor Bazelak, leaving rookie Jalon Daniels as the only backup to starting quarterback Baker Mayfield. The Buccaneers also waived three players from their 2024 draft class: outside linebacker Chris Braswell, guard Elijah Klein, and tight end Devin Culp. All members of the current year's draft class were retained on the initial 53-man roster.
The complete list of players waived includes quarterbacks, wide receivers, linebackers, and other positions, totaling 30 players. Additionally, three players were waived/injured, while three vested veterans had their contracts terminated. Many of the waived players are expected to be candidates for the Buccaneers' practice squad, which can accommodate 16 players, and potentially 17 if they retain tackle Paul Rubelt under the International Players Pathway program.
