The Tampa Bay Buccaneers bought back a familiar face for a workout after last seeing him in the preseason. Former Florida football defensive tackle Desmond Watson was back at the facility as he tries to get a roster spot on the team, according to Buccaneers beat writer Rick Stroud.
“Watson has not been signed to the practice squad or anything. As an undrafted free agent, he spent training camp and preseason with the Bucs on the non-football illness list. Bucs play Philadelphia next week,” Stroud wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
Watson was waived by the Buccaneers during training camp as he spent some time on the non-football injury list with the goal of losing weight. He played at 464 pounds when he was at Florida, and he was able to drop to 449 pounds when he was with the Buccaneers. The hope was that Watson could become a stout defensive tackle for the Buccaneers, but it didn’t work out at the time.
Head coach Todd Bowles shared during training camp why Watson was put on the NFI list.
“It’s just about trying to get him better, to be a healthier player and getting him on the field a little more,” Bowles said via Austin Nivison of CBS Sports. “That’s kind of where I’m at right now. He’s working at it and we’re working with him and that’s all you can ask right now.”
Watson also spoke about his weight and what he wanted to be known for during his career in the NFL.
“I feel like my name is etched in history, of course, as the official heaviest player in the NFL, or whatnot,” Watson said. “It’s a good story; at the same time I don’t want it to be my narrative. I want to be known as a football player, and a good football player at that. But it’s nice to be able to make history … I guess again because I did it in college, too. It’s nice to be able to make history but all in all, I am a football player and I want to be known as a good one. So it’s just a process that comes with it, I guess.”
Now, Watson has another chance to make a case for himself to be on the roster, and the fact that the Buccaneers brought him in for a workout means they have some belief in him.
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