In effort to aid an injury-stricken linebacker corps, the Buccaneers signed veteran linebacker Deion Jones to the practice squad Tuesday.
Jones, 30, has not played this season after being cut from the Buffalo Bills in the preseason. The former Atlanta Falcons standout made the Pro Bowl and cashed in on a big-money extension playing for the NFC South foe between 2017 and 2022.
Jones famously ended Jameis Winston’s final season in Tampa Bay with a pick-six in overtime in 2019, marking the fastest overtime win in NFL history (7 seconds).
However, not much has gone right for Jones since then, as multiple injuries have resulted in him bouncing around to his now-fourth team in three seasons. He went to Cleveland via late-round pick swap in 2022 and played for a dilapidated Carolina Panthers crew in 2023, where he started just three games and totaled 35 tackles and 1 interception.
While he hasn't exactly been lighting it up, the Bucs are desperate for depth opposite stalwart Lavonte David. Losing Sir’Vocea Dennis amidst a breakout campaign earlier in the year was bad enough, but K.J. Britt and J.J. Russell are now also dealing with significant injuries that have forced Vi Jones and Antonio Grier, Jr. into major snaps.
Vi Jones and Grier have both been fine enough in a couple games, but the cupboard is completely bare if either of them get hurt, hence Deion Jones’s arrival. We’ll see how quick he gets up to speed.