The return of Jason Pierre-Paul is near for Buccaneers
By Cory Kinnan
The Buccaneers, barring any setbacks, can expect Jason Pierre-Paul back after their bye week and for the last nine games of the season.
With Shaquil Barrett thriving with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, many have forgotten about last year’s team leader in sacks Jason Pierre-Paul. JPP has been out ever since fracturing vertebrae in his neck in a car accident this Spring, but the good news for the pewter and red: he has tentatively set a return date.
Pierre-Paul’s agent told TMZ that the injured pass rusher is on track to return in three weeks to the Buccaneers; this, however is a bye week for Tampa. This means that JPP’s first game back for the Buccaneers would be in week eight as they will square off with the Tennessee Titans as they continue their prolonged road trip.
It will be interesting to see how the Bucs deploy Pierre-Paul in week eight, whether they put him on a pitch count or if they let him run free. Additionally, it is worth keeping an eye on JPP’s role with the team as the season rolls along; will he eventually take over the starting job from Carl Nassib, or will he serve strictly in a rotational role?
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Pierre-Paul is set to become a free agent after the 2019 season after he and the Bucs agreed to restructure his contract; the veteran pass rusher will now see a base salary of $5 million for the rest of the season and has the chance to earn back the rest of his money in incentives. In his second season in Tampa after being traded for a year ago, Pierre-Paul was set to see $12.5 million from the Bucs next year too, but his restructure took a year off of his deal.
Apparently, Pierre-Paul is in great shape as well, working out at One Buc and biting at the chomp to get back on the field:
"“The player is allowed to receive treatment and attend team meetings — and JPP has been doing just that. In fact, he was at the Bucs gym on Thursday working out and showing off his 6-pack” (via TMZ)."
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The Buccaneers will be looking to get Jason Pierre-Paul back as, outside of Barrett’s nine sacks this season, they have just two. If this is truly Pierre-Paul’s last season in the pewter and red, then he will look to capitalize on the last nine games of the season for the Buccaneers and parlay himself into another contract in 2020.