Buccaneers Cut QB, Add Former Cardinals Punter

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed former Arizona Cardinals punter Nolan Cooney to the practice squad on Monday. The Bucs now have two punters on the roster with the other one being fourth-rounder Jake Camarda, who was drafted in the 2022 NFL Draft.

Camarda has held the punter position for the last two seasons and statistically has been good for the Bucs. His punting averages in the last two seasons have been 50.1 yards (2023) and 48.4 yards (2022) which rank as the two highest single-season averages in Bucs history.

The move to sign Cooney could be an indication that there will be some competition for the position. Cooney has had a roller-coaster ride in the NFL for most of his career, but in 2023 he re-signed with the Cardinals after originally being signed and waived the previous year. In 2023, he played four games and punted 13 times.

Another move the Bucs had to make was waiving rookie quarterback Zack Annexstad. Annexstad was listed as the fourth quarterback on the depth chart and was unlikely to make the 53-man roster.

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In 2023, Camarda punted 156 times for the Bucs and placed 48 punts inside the 20.

Cooney played college football at Syracuse and 2020 was his only year on scholarship. During that year, he earned honorable mention All-American and third-team All-ACC awards.