The NFL isn't just about the guys on the TV posters. Honestly, if you only look at the 53-man roster, you’re missing half the story of how a team like Tampa Bay actually survives a 17-game grind. It’s about the grind. The tampa bucs practice squad is essentially the lifeblood of the organization during the dog days of January and the messy transitions of the offseason.
Just look at what happened as the 2025 season wrapped up and we rolled into January 2026. The Bucs didn't just let their practice squad players walk into the sunset. They immediately locked down 14 players to "reserve/future" contracts. These aren't just names on a PDF; these are the guys who spent all season mimicking opponents like the Saints or the Falcons to get the starters ready.
Who is Actually on the Tampa Bucs Practice Squad?
Most fans think the practice squad is just a waiting room. It's more like a laboratory. In early January 2026, the Buccaneers made a flurry of moves to ensure their developmental pipeline stayed intact. They signed 14 guys to those futures deals, which basically means these players are officially on the 90-man offseason roster for 2026.
The list is a mix of undrafted rookies who fought for their lives in training camp and veterans who provide that "break glass in case of emergency" depth.
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- S Marcus Banks (A heavy special teams contributor)
- T Marshall Foerner (A fresh face from the Colts system)
- WR Garrett Greene (The QB-turned-WR experiment everyone is watching)
- WR Dennis Houston
- DT Nash Hutmacher
- LB Nick Jackson
- DT Jayson Jones
- OLB Mohamed Kamara
- C Ben Scott
- LB Benton Whitley
- RB Michael Wiley
- CB Damarion Williams
- RB Josh Williams
- RB Owen Wright (The preseason standout who keeps hanging around)
It’s interesting to see Owen Wright back on this list. He led the team in rushing during the 2025 preseason and spent the year bouncing between the active roster and the practice squad. That’s the reality for a tampa bucs practice squad player—one day you’re on the scout team, the next day you’re getting carries in a "do-or-die" game against the Panthers.
The Jason Pierre-Paul Factor and Veteran Elevations
You probably noticed a familiar name popping up in the headlines lately: Jason Pierre-Paul. This is where the practice squad rules get kinda wild. JPP wasn't on the 53-man roster for much of the late season; he was signed directly to the practice squad in December.
Why? Because of the elevation rule.
In the modern NFL, teams can "elevate" a player from the practice squad to the active game-day roster up to three times per season. After that third time, you either have to sign them to the 53-man roster or they have to clear waivers to go back to the squad. The Bucs used this perfectly with JPP and guys like Adam Gotsis. They provided veteran pass-rush depth without the team having to cut a young developmental prospect from the main roster.
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It's a chess match.
The Bucs even used their final elevation on Marcus Banks for a crucial game against the Saints. He’s a first-year safety who basically earned his 2026 futures contract by being a reliable body on special teams when the injuries started piling up in the secondary.
How Much Do These Guys Actually Make?
Let’s talk money, because it’s not all private jets and Super Bowl rings. For the 2025-2026 window, the pay scale for the tampa bucs practice squad depends on how long you’ve been in the league.
If you’re a rookie or a player with fewer than two "accrued seasons," you’re looking at a fixed weekly rate. For 2025, that was around $12,500 per week. For 2026, it bumps up to roughly $13,250.
Veterans with more than three seasons—think of guys like JPP or Gotsis when they were on the squad—have more leverage. They can negotiate a range. In 2025, the max was around $22,000 per week. It’s good money, sure, but there’s zero job security. You can be cut on a Tuesday morning because the team needs to sign a punter to cover an injury.
The Strategy Behind the 17th Spot
You might have heard that the NFL expanded practice squads to 16 players, but the Bucs actually carry 17 sometimes. This is thanks to the International Pathway Program (IPP). If a team keeps an international player, they get an exempt 17th spot.
While the Bucs' current futures list doesn't highlight a specific IPP player for this exact moment, that extra slot has historically allowed teams to "stash" talent they aren't ready to give up on.
Why These Names Matter for 2026
When you look at Garrett Greene or Nash Hutmacher, you're looking at the potential 2026 version of C.J. Brewer or Ryan Miller. Last year, Brewer and Miller were just "practice squad guys." By the end of the 2025 season, they were taking meaningful snaps.
Nick Jackson is another one to watch. The Bucs waived him, re-signed him, and promoted him multiple times last year. That kind of resilience usually means the coaching staff sees a "pro's pro" in the making.
Real-World Impact: Next Steps for Fans
If you're trying to keep track of the tampa bucs practice squad and how it affects your Sunday viewing, keep these things in mind:
- Watch the Tuesday Transactions: This is when the most "churn" happens. If a starter gets hurt on Sunday, the replacement is usually signed to the squad or elevated by Tuesday afternoon.
- The "Three Elevation" Rule: If you see a player like Mohamed Kamara play three weeks in a row, pay attention. The fourth week, the Bucs must sign him to the 53-man roster or he sits.
- The Waiver Wire Game: Just because a player is on the Bucs' practice squad doesn't mean they belong to the Bucs. Any other team in the NFL can sign a practice squad player to their active 53-man roster at any time. The only way the Bucs can stop it is by promoting the player themselves.
The practice squad isn't a graveyard for careers; it's the engine room. Every time you see a "nobody" make a tackle on a kickoff, remember they probably spent the last six months as a member of the tampa bucs practice squad, waiting for that one 60-minute window to prove they belong.