Former Buccaneers Wide Receiver Attends Tryout With Baltimore Ravens

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers' receiver room will need to step up in 2026 after their No. 1 receiver departed in free agency.

Franchise legend Mike Evans left the team to play for the San Francisco 49ers, leaving a young corps behind. Players like Emeka Egbuka and Jalen McMillan are expected to step up big time for Tampa Bay, and other veterans like Chris Godwin are slated to lead the room in 2026.

There's another veteran wideout who has been with the Bucs for the past few years who appears to have been pushed out, however.

Wide receiver Sterling Shepard came out of near-retirement to join the Bucs in 2024, and he's played for the team the last two seasons. He wasn't brought back this offseason, though, and he's quietly left the roster as the Bucs gear up for a big 2026 in hopes of reclaiming the NFC South crown.

He still wants to play football, though, and he recently tried out for a team in the AFC as training camps are starting up.

Sterling Shepard Tries Out With Baltimore Ravens

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard (17) catches the ball for a touchdown against the New York Jets | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Ravens reporter Brian Whacker reported Friday that Shepard attended a tryout with the Baltimore Ravens.

#Ravens had veteran WR Sterling Shephard in for a tryout today, per the wire. A handful of others, too pic.twitter.com/i3YferkSN2
— Brian Wacker (@brianwacker1) July 24, 2026

Shepard was one of four wide receivers to try out for the Ravens. He hasn't been signed yet, but the Ravens did elect to sign Chris Moore — a Tampa native — from the tryout, which may not be great for his chances.

Shepard had very similar stats in 2024 to his 2025 season. Across his two seasons in Tampa Bay, he netted 71 catches for 705 yards and two touchdowns in 28 games, including the playoffs. His last touchdown catch came in 2025 against the Seattle Seahawks, a game the Bucs won 38-35.

Shepard initially came to Tampa Bay in 2024 at the request of quarterback Baker Mayfield, whom he played with in college at Oklahoma. Now, though, Tampa Bay's receiver room is getting younger, and it appears Shepard couldn't break through into the lineup for a third year with the Bucs.

The Bucs begin training camp on July 28, and Shepard will continue to find a new team for the upcoming 2026 season.

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