Buccaneers Cut Former 1,200-Yard College Football Star Receiver

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got a jump on the NFL's August 27 deadline to trim rosters to 53 players.

According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport on Monday, Tampa has released veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard. However, a reunion could still be in play in the coming days as Rapoport added, "The team is holding a practice spot for him."

The former Oklahoma Sooners star was a college teammate of now-Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield.

At Oklahoma, Shepard turned heads as a senior in 2015 when he posted a career-high stat line of 86 catches, 1,288 yards and 11 touchdowns. He played in 50 games across four seasons at OU, where his father Derrick Shepard lettered for four seasons in the 1980s.

Shepard, a former second-round pick by the New York Giants in 2016, enters his ninth NFL season in 2024.

At 31 years old and fighting his way back from an ACL tear in 2022, Shepard's best playing days are likely behind him. After eight seasons with the Giants, he became a free agent after the 2023 Super Bowl.

While Shepard has never reached the 1,000-yard mark as a pro, he has accumulated 372 receptions, 4,095 receiving yards and 23 touchdowns, including eight as a rookie in 2016.

He recorded only 10 catches and 57 yards in 15 games last season.