Buccaneers bringing back veteran WR with strong ties to Baker Mayfield

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht has always been about bringing back his own players. He brought back one of the team's best receivers, Chris Godwin, on a three-year, $66 million deal in free agency — and now, he's bringing another wideout back into the fold.

Licht played the role of a reporter and broke his own news on Friday, announcing that the team had signed wide receiver Sterling Shepard to a one-year deal to return to the team. Licht did not reveal how much Shepard was set to make on the deal.

The Bucs have agreed to terms with WR Sterling Shepard on a 1 year deal, per source. @FifthThird @OU_Football @Scoop_A1 🛥️
— Jason Licht (@jasonrlicht) March 14, 2025

Shepard, who came to the Bucs from the New York Giants last year, played in more games than he was expecting due to injuries to both Godwin and wideout Mike Evans. Playing in 14 games and starting five, Shepard amassed 334 yards and a touchdown with the Buccaneers. He's set to be a solid WR4 for the team with Evans, Godwin and McMillan all back in the fold.

A big reason why he is back is his connection with Bucs quarterback Baker Mayfield. Mayfield played with Shepard at Oklahoma, and now, he'll get another year playing with him at the NFL level, too.

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