If you were on the fence about whether or not the Tampa Bay Buccaneers should try and keep tight end Cade Otton in 2026, then the Week 18 win over the Carolina Panthers probably convinced you he should stay.
Unfortunately for the Buccaneers and their fans, Otton’s career game (7 receptions, 94 yards, 1 touchdown) probably also served as his audition tape for NFL teams looking for a plug-and-play starter at tight end, of which there should be many.
It may have also priced Otton out of Tampa Bay’s plans for the future.
While Spotrac projects Otton’s next deal to be something in the realm of a 3-year, $23 million contract, what Otton showed in the final game of the year — and collectively over the last 2 years — might put him at something more in the realm of making $10 million per year vs. the $7.7 million he’s currently projected at.
“Cade Otton has so much potential to be elite,” Polymarket Football wrote on its official X account next to a video clip of Otton’s touchdown against the Panthers.
NFC East Team Might Move Quickly on Otton
Otton entered the season finale against the Panthers with 52 receptions — the most receptions in the NFL without a touchdown to that point.
He reclaimed his season in the final game and finished the season exactly matching his total from 2024 with 59 receptions and wasn’t far behind his yardage total with 572 yards, although he played in 16 games this season and only played 14 games in 2024.
Over his first 4 seasons, Otton has 17-game averages of 56 receptions, 545 yards and 3 touchdowns. At 6-foot-5, 247 pounds and just 26 years old, that means he’s going to be someone’s starting tight end in 2026.
One team that could pounce quickly when free agency opens in March could be the the Washington Commanders, who are desperate to re-establish themselves as NFC contenders after going 5-12 in 2025. They’ll also be looking for a tight end after their starter the last 2 seasons, 36-year-old Zach Ertz, suffered a catastrophic knee injury in a Week 14 loss to the Minnesota Vikings.
“In free agency I would look for two things: 1. An ascending talent. 2. A veteran with experience in a winning organization.” Commanders fan account Air Raid Concepts wrote on X. “Cade Otton pops as an ascending talent, imo.”
All Signs Point to Bucs Letting Otton Leave
Coming off their most disappointing season since the Dirk Koetter era, the Buccaneers will do a ground-up evaluation of every part of the roster and coaching staff — a process that could very well bring them to the conclusion Otton isn’t part of what they want to do moving forward. If they haven’t already made that decision.
There was some pressure on Tampa Bay to try and do an extension for Otton before this season and they held off, instead handing cornerback Zyon McCollum a 3-year, $48 million contract extension that already looks like a disaster.
Spotrac’s Michael Ginnitti thought Otton was in line to receive a 3-year, $35 million extension right before the season.
“The numbers don’t jump off of the page, and you won’t find Otton in very many Top TE rankings, but to this Bucs offense (and Baker Mayfield specifically), there’s more than enough worth and value to consider him for the future,” Ginnitti wrote on August 9.
Bucs Could Lose Projected $23 Million Free Agent TE Cade Otton