Buccaneers could make surprising reunion with 449-pound defender

Tampa bay Buccaneers worked out a familiar face on Friday.

Aug 16, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Desmond Watson walks laps before a game against the Pittsburgh Steelers at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles mentioned at the end of training camp that the door wasn't closed for a reunion with massive Florida Gators defensive tackle Desmond Watson, and it looks like that might be happening sooner than later.

The Buccaneers recently suffered a devastating blow to the defensive line when DL Calijah Kancey tore his pectoral muscle against the Houston Texans. That leaves the defensive line in need of some depth, and as a result, the Buccaneers brought Watson back to Tampa Bay for a workout on Friday after practice ended, per the Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud.

Bucs just worked out Gators DT Desmond Watson.

— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) September 19, 2025

Could Desmond Watson re-sign with the Buccaneers?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Desmond Watson (56) looks on before training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. | Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

The move comes as an interesting one. The first notable part of the workout is that Watson never actually played in a preseason game for the Bucs — in fact, he didn't even undergo training camp. The Buccaneers put Watson on a weight-loss program with the intention of playing him whenever he got down to the weight they wanted him at. He never got there, so whenever cuts came around, he was released without so much as participating in training camp.

The other interesting part is that the Bucs did just sign another SEC defensive tackle with a similar(ish) build. The Buccaneers brought in Elijah Simmons from the Cardinals' practice squad, and he's a 335-pound nose tackle who would serve in a similar run-stuffing role.

It's unknown why the Buccaneers have been looking into plug-type, run-stuffing defensive tackles, especially given that Kancey himself was mostly a pass-rushing DT with a completely different skillset. Nevertheless, the Buccaneers haven't forgotten about Watson, even if they don't end up signing him — and reunion in Tampa Bay might be in the cards at some point during the year.

READ MORE: Buccaneers' $90 million tackle avoids major injury in win over Texans

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