The Tampa Bay Buccaneers‘ best offensive performance of the season didn’t include the team’s most-seasoned tight end, Cameron Brate.
Tampa Bay listed Brate as a healthy scratch in the Week 17 win over the Carolina Panthers, 30-24. The Bucs went with rookies Ko Kieft and Cade Otton instead plus veteran Kyle Rudolph. Only Otton caught passes — two for 17 yards amid four drops. Kieft missed his only target, and Bucs quarterback Tom Brady never threw to Rudolph once.
“The packages were different that involved [Rudolph],” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles explained to reporters on Monday, January 2. “We didn’t get to all of them, but going into the game we had some packages we wanted to run that involved him more than Cam.”
Going into the January 8 finale against the Atlanta Falcons, whether or not the Bucs will play Brate again remains to be seen. Brate has 20 catches for 174 yards this season, and his production turned quieter before the Panthers game.
Brate caught only two passes per game in his appearances since the bye week, and he never tallied more than 25 yards in those games. He also didn’t get a target in eight offensive snaps played against the Arizona Cardinals on Christmas Day.
A ninth-year veteran with the Bucs, Brate came into this season as the team’s longest-tenured tight end amid the retirement of Rob Gronkowski. Brate couldn’t come close to matching his best seasons of the past with the Bucs where he scored four or more touchdowns and caught 30 or more passes.
Injuries affected Brate early on this season with a concussion and neck injury. He missed five games due to injury, and he hasn’t matched his best output of the season since those injuries. His best performance came in Week 2 against the Green Bay Packers when he had five catches for 52 yards.
Despite the quiet regular season, Brate still has proven playoff experience, which could benefit the Bucs. Brate caught a touchdown pass in the 2021 NFC Championship Game, and he has 18 catches for 213 yards in six career postseason games.
Kyle Rudolph Still Valuable for the Bucs
Similar to Brate, Rudolph hasn’t lived up to expectations this season.
The Bucs signed the former Pro Bowler in July 2022 amid Gronkowski’s retirement. Rudolph only has two catches for 20 yards this season — both far and away career worsts. The Bucs also sat him as a healthy scratch in four games to start the season.
Heavy’s Matt Lombardo noted in December that Rudolph provides value for the Bucs in other ways. Rudolph “is a strong veteran voice” and “as steady leadership presence” plus “proven depth player”, Lombardo wrote.
Rudolph also has ample playoff experience, including a game-winning touchdown catch in overtime for the Minnesota Vikings in 2020. Overall, Rudolph has 16 catches for 154 yards and two touchdowns in six career playoff games amid four playoff appearances.
Todd Bowles Likes Rookie Ko Kieft on Special Teams
The Bucs drafted Kieft in the sixth round of the 2022 draft for his blocking skills, and his special teams abilities have proven valuable, too.
“Ko’s brought toughness to the unit, he’s a smart kid, [he is] obviously on all four phases,” Bowles said about Kieft on Friday. “He’d be on field goal if he had to be — the guy wants to play. I can’t say enough about him. He brings a lot to the unit because he likes football — smart guy, tough and smart — you can’t replace it. And he shows up every week.”