The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had a tough decision to make with edge rusher and former LSU star Jack Pyburn after the undrafted free-agent rookie came out of nowhere to lead the Bucs with 4.0 sacks in 3 preseason games.
Despite that success, the Buccaneers cut Pyburn on Sunday as part of the NFL’s cutdown to 53-man rosters.
Pyburn didn’t stay unemployed for long, and the controversial former LSU star is now headed to an AFC contender. Pyburn’s name has been a talking point for the controversial court ruling that would allow NFL players to return to college football.
“Former LSU and Buccaneers edge Jack Pyburn was claimed on waivers by the Chiefs,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote on his official X account on Monday. “He has informed LSU that he is withdrawing his claim in the NCAA’s ‘5-for-5’ eligibility litigation and will remain in the NFL rather than return to LSU.”
“Jack Pyburn was claimed on waivers by the Kansas City Chiefs,” ESPN’s Pat McAfee wrote on his official X account on Monday. “He has informed LSU that he is withdrawing his claim in the NCAA’s ‘5-for-5’ eligibility litigation and will remain in the NFL rather than return to LSU.”
Jack Pyburn Made Strong Case for 53-Man Roster
The Athletic’s Daniel Popper singled out Pyburn as 1 of the NFL’s top “roster bubble” players making a push to land on the actual 53-man roster.
“Pyburn signed with the Bucs this spring as an undrafted free agent out of LSU,” Popper wrote on August 18. “He had two sacks Friday in Tampa Bay’s 24-16 win over the New York Jets, including one in crunch time in the fourth quarter. Pyburn is undersized, but he is strong and plays with an unrelenting motor. He threw a variety of moves, including a rip for his first sack in the third quarter and an inside spin move that needs some additional polishing. Pyburn also looked dominant at certain moments in the run game, including a rep late in the third quarter when he was matched up against Jets tight end Chase Curtis.”
Jack Pyburn Spent Time at 2 SEC Powerhouses
Pyburn, a Jacksonville, Florida, native, played 3 seasons at Florida before transferring to LSU for his final college season in 2025.
Over his last 2 seasons at Florida and LSU, Pyburn showed glimpses of his potential.
In 2024 and 2025 — 1 season at Florida and 1 season at LSU — Pyburn racked up 112 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 3.0 sacks, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble, and 1 fumble recovery in 24 games with 19 starts.
NFL Draft analyst Lance Zierlein projected Pyburn as a 6th-round pick.
“Pyburn is a muscular outside linebacker with short arms and unremarkable athleticism,” Zierlein wrote in his pre-draft evaluation. “He’s been a non-factor as a pass rusher during his career, but he gets after it as a run defender. Pyburn has some heat in his hands, jarring blockers and playing off of them to make tackles in his vicinity, but his lack of length will make it tougher to set edges against longer NFL tackles. As a backup with a lack of rush and cover talent, special teams will need to become his money-maker to stay in the league.”