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After an unexpected spate of injuries, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers needed help at the wide receiver position — nothing crazy just enough to let stars like Mike Evans and Chris Godwin do their thing.
Enter veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard, who stepped up and made his first catches of the year after being elevated from the practice squad for the second consecutive week and was a key part of a 33-16 win over the Philadelphia Eagles on September 29.
According to the NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, Shepard’s play has earned him a spot on the active roster ahead of a Week 5 NFC South showdown on October 3 at the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday Night Football.
“The #Buccaneers are signing WR Sterling Shepard to the active roster from their practice squad, source says,” Garafolo wrote on his official X account on October 1. “A few days after catching three passes for 51 yards against the #Eagles, Shepard is up to the 53-man roster.”
Shepard played with Tampa Bay quarterback Baker Mayfield at Oklahoma in 2015 and spent the first 8 seasons of his career with the New York Giants before signing a 1-year, $1.37 million contract with the Buccaneers on June 6.
The Buccaneers released the 9-year NFL veteran on Aug. 26 and put him on the practice squad.
Shepard’s presence is crucial to the Buccaneers after injuries depleted their depth at wide receiver.
“Meanwhile, Tampa Bay will be waiting for wide receivers Jalen McMillan and Trey Palmer to get healthy again down the stretch,” Sports Illustrated’s River Wells wrote on Oct. 1. “McMillan is currently nursing a hamstring injury while Palmer suffered a concussion after catching a touchdown against the Eagles on Sunday. WR Kameron Johnson is also dealing with an ankle injury.”
Season With Mayfield Jump-Started NFL Career
Shepard’s one season with Mayfield at Oklahoma propelled him into a lengthy NFL career.
Shepard had never passed 1,000 receiving yards in a single season before Mayfield came along and became the starter in 2015, when he had 86 receptions for 1,288 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns in 13 games.
That season shot Shepard up NFL draft boards and he was eventually selected by the Giants in the second round (No. 40 overall) of the 2016 NFL draft.
Shepard’s father, the late Derrick Shepard, played wide receiver at Oklahoma and won a national championship in 1985 before playing 6 seasons in the NFL and winning a Super Bowl with the Washington Redskins in 1987.
Sterling Shepard was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team in 2016 and had his best season as a pro with 66 receptions for 872 receiving yards and 4 touchdowns in 2018. In April 2019, Shepard signed a 4-year, $41 million contract extension with the Giants.
Shepard suffered serious injuries in back-to-back seasons in 2021 (torn Achilles tendon) and 2022 (torn ACL) and only had 10 receptions for 57 yards and 1 touchdown in 2023.
Buccaneers Drafted Wide Receiver Depth in 2024
The move to leave Shepard off the roster may have been done, in part, because of how well \McMillan, a 2024 third-round pick, performed in training camp.
During camp, McMillan played his way into one of the starting wide receiver spots beside veterans Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Evans and McMillan are at the outside receiver spots and Godwin is back at his natural position at slot receiver after playing the majority of 2023 in one of the outside spots.
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