Bucs move Sterling Shepard to 53-man roster

By Anthony Caruso III | Publisher

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have moved wide receiver Sterling Shepard to their 53-man roster on Tuesday, according to NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo. He had been on their practice squad.

Shepard signed with the Bucs in the offseason. He joined the team due to his close friendship with star quarterback Baker Mayfield.

Both players were previously together with the Oklahoma Sooners.

Shepard was initially cut during training camp. However, he decided to remain with the team through a practice squad deal.

On Sunday, he was called up from the practice squad. In the contest against the Philadelphia Eagles, he had three receptions for 51 yards.

The 31-year-old former New York Giants player nearly tied what he had during the entire season near the Big Apple.

In his final season with the Giants, he had 10 receptions for 57 yards in 2023.

Shepard did not surpass more than 18 receiving yards in a game one year ago. He had three receptions for the aforementioned 18 yards during a 22-10 win over the Eagles.

He last surpassed 50 receiving yards in a game during the 2022 season. He had 71 yards and a touchdown reception against the Tennessee Titans in a 21-20 win on September 11th, 2022.

Shepard averaged 10.20 yards per catch against the Eagles in Week 4. That was his highest average in a game since he had 17.75 yards per catch average against the Titans in 2022.

Now that he is on the active roster and already comfortable with Mayfield, the Buccaneers have another offensive weapon for teams to worry about. Mike Evans and Chris Godwin will receive the bulk of the receiving yards but Shepard will be in the mix to receive the ball when they are not open.

The #Buccaneers are signing WR Sterling Shepard to the active roster from their practice squad, source says. A few days after catching three passes for 51 yards against the #Eagles, Shepard is up to the 53-man roster. pic.twitter.com/b7RBC8Kp7d

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) October 1, 2024