The Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed Desmond Watson to lose weight if he wanted to have a chance of making an NFL roster, essentially telling the 6-foot-5, 464-pound University of Florida product they could not put him on the field at that size in good conscience.
Watson is back with the Buccaneers after slimming down to 437 pounds and earning a place on the practice squad.
“Bucs are signing former Gators DT Desmond Watson to their practice squad,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote on his official X account on September 23. “The massive prospect has met their requirements to get in shape and can now practice with the team.”
The Buccaneers took another look at Watson last week, when they brought him in for a workout less than one month after releasing him.
“Bucs just worked out Gators DT Desmond Watson,” Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud wrote on X on September 19. “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.”
Watson Curious Prospect For Buccaneers
Watson’s size made him a curious and enticing NFL undrafted free agent prospect but he never even got to participate in an actual padded practice for the Buccaneers, who kept him sidelined over his weight.
Watson had held on the non-football injury list as Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles tried to get Watson’s weight to what he considered a “manageable” number. That never happened and he was eventually released on August 25 as he Buccaneers cut down to their 53-man roster.
“Bucs are waiving rookie defensive tackle Desmond Watson, who had been on the non-football illness list all of training camp,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote. “Had needed to get his weight down — could have moved him to reserve-NFI, but they’ll cut him outright. Not going to practice squad at the moment.”
Weight Made Watson Viral Sensation at Florida
Watson’s weight has varied wildly since he weighed in at 464 pounds at Florida’s Pro Day — going from around 450 pounds to as low as 437 pounds.
Watson did the 225-pound bench press a staggering 36 times at Pro Day and ran the 40-yard dash in 5.86 seconds.
“There (are) times where I do basically starving and stuff like that,” Watson told USA Today’s Josh Peter before the draft. “And I would drop weight, of course, but I didn’t feel confident that way. I didn’t feel strong, I didn’t feel fast. I feel like right now is the best I felt with the process of losing weight.”
Watson’s weight has been a constant talking point since the Plant City, Florida, native weighed in at 440 pounds when he enrolled at Florida in 2021.
Buccaneers Need Help On Interior Defensive Line
The Buccaneers are off to a 3-0 start and might actually need Watson the 53-man roster sooner than later.
That’s because starting interior defensive lineman and 2023 first round pick Calijah Kancey was lost for the season after he tore his pectoral muscle in a win over the Houston Texans in Week 2.
Kancey led the Buccaneers with 7.5 sacks in 2024.