As the four-time defending NFC South champions, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers can be excused for essentially running it back this offseason. Nothing drastic is necessary, and the draft will easily add to a group of young players who nicely supplement that core group.
That said, every offseason brings changes and several recognizable Buccaneers are entering the final year of their contract in 2025. So extra motivation to cash in next offseason will be inherent, even if it ultimately means leaving Tampa Bay for greener pastures.
In particular, these half-dozen Buccaneers will be playing next season with eyes on a nice new contract.
6 Buccaneers who will be playing for a contract in 2025
Cade Otton, TE
Otton's role has slowly grown over his first three seasons, and if not for missing three games last season he would have pushed his career-highs for catches (59), targets (87) and yards (600) even higher. He also averaged 10.2 yards per reception, while finishing ninth among tight ends in yards after the catch (331, via Pro Football Focus).
A fourth-round pick in 2022, Otton is entering the final year of his rookie contract. He's unlikely to get a huge target share in the Buccaneers' offense next season, but another year of elevated production could show the rest of the league he can be a more prominent part of an offense.
Spotrac currently has Otton's market value at $12.2 million per year, and he could easily push that number noticeably higher if he performs well in his contract year.
Rachaad White, RB
White is a reliable pass catcher and he's very good in pass protection, which kept Bucky Irving off the field more than anyone wanted early last season. The difference in juice as a runner was impossible to ignore though, and over the course of the season the backfield snap share and touch volume rightfully moved toward Irving.
It's fair to assume White will not be back with the Buccaneers in 2026. Irving is in line to fully assert himself as the No. 1 back next season, and Sean Tucker showed promise when he got opportunities last season. The role White occupies can be replaced (and he possibly was nearly replaced in that role by a free agent signing that didn't come to fruition this offseason).
With his looming departure in mind, barring something unforeseen, the 26-year-old White will be showcasing himself for other teams in 2025.
Mike Evans, WR
Evans has been around so long his college quarterback was Johnny Manziel, and he has been a model of consistency with over 1,000 yards in all 11 seasons of his career--all in Tampa Bay, of course.
Evans seems inclined to be a Buccaneer for his entire career, and it's impossible to imagine him in another uniform. But he is going into the final year of his contract, and if he did hit the open market he'd have a lot of suitors.
Not that Evans needs extra motivation, but he's in line for one more big contract before his career is done.
Zyon McCollum, CB
McCollum stepped in to replace the departed Carlton Davis as Tampa Bay's starting corner opposite Jamel Dean last season, and he shined (82 total tackles, two interceptions, 17 pass breakups). He also played all 17 games, which Davis continually did not do in the years before he was traded.
ESPN's Ben Solak mentioned another player more prominently in his prediction of Buccaneers' players who will get a contract extension this offseason. But he also predicted "the conversations with cornerback Zyon McCollum will begin" after said other player is taken care of.
Barring an absolutely phenomenal 2025 campaign, McCollum will not get a contract near the top of a continually climbing cornerback market when it comes time. But he is in line to get paid, perhaps this offseason if Solak's prediction proves correct. The only question would be if the Buccaneers are the team that will pony up the most if McCollum does hit the open market.
Luke Goedeke, OT
The aforementioned "other player" Solak mentioned as being in line for a contract extension this offseason was Goedeke. After playing left guard as a rookie in 2022, the Central Michigan product has become a pillar at right tackle for the Buccaneers over the last two seasons. Pro Football Focus has graded him out as a top-30 offensive tackle in both seasons, with equally strong grades as a run and pass blocker.
Tampa Bay's tilt toward rewarding their own lines Goedeke to be made one of the highest-paid right tackles in the league. The potential fly in that ointment, as the Buccaneers weigh any risks, is the fact he missed four games with a concussion last season. But unless he gets a new contract this offseason, like Solak predicted, Goedeke will be motivated to prove he's worthy of a big contract.
Haason Reddick, EDGE
Reddick would love to forget 2024. After making it clear he wanted a new contract as he entered the final year of his then-current deal, the Philadelphia Eagles traded him to the New York Jets. The Jets made that trade without having a new contract in place with him, with reports suggesting there was an understanding he would play out his contract.
Reddick then sat out OTAs, minicamp, training camp and the early part of the season, racking up $4.5 million in fines all along the way as he also formally requested a trade in August.
Faced will losing a year of service time, Reddick ended his holdout in late October with a reworked one-year deal that allowed him to earn a maximum of $10 million. His original contract called for him to make $14 million, and NFL Network's Ian Rapoport also reported he had turned down a deal before the season that would have earned him $20 million. The total lost money added up quickly.
After he reportedly rejected a reworked contract, Reddick's agency fired him before he ended his holdout--which worked out fine for him, since he landed with Drew Rosenhaus.
In 10 games for the Jets last season, Reddick had just one sack over 393 defensive snaps. He had a least 11 sacks in each of the previous four seasons (with three teams), and he was among the most productive pass rushers in the league over that span with a total of 50.5 sacks.
Entering his age-31 season, Reddick might have one more shot a lucrative multi-year contract. The Buccaneers are taking a reasonable one-year bet ( $14 million, $12 million guaranteed) he is plenty motivated to get back to his previous form, and of course he has said he is as he easily takes the No. 1 spot on this list.
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