Jamel Dean made it to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Week 1 roster despite being floated as a potential cap casualty this offseason. He even fared well in the team's thrilling 23-20 victory over the division rival Atlanta Falcons. Yet, general manager Jason Licht and the front office appear ready to move on from him, and the feeling is ostensibly mutual.
The Buccaneers and Dean have agreed to terms on a restructured contract, as first reported by Pewter Report's Joshua Queipo. The team's longtime cornerback willingly took a "significant pay cut" to become a free agent next March instead of 2027 (h/t Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times). It's clear that both sides are ready for a fresh start sooner rather than later, and they took an actionable step toward making that happen.
Can confirm Bucs reached an agreement on a significant pay cut for CB Jamel Dean before the final preseason game vs Buffalo. Dean was set to earn $12.5 million in 2025 but will now make $4.25 million with as much as $750k in playing time incentives. Dean now becomes a free agent…
— Rick Stroud (@NFLSTROUD) September 8, 2025
Jamel Dean, Buccaneers foreshadow looming breakup with contract restructure
Originally set to earn $12.5 million in 2025, per Stroud, that number now drops $4.25 million for Dean. The one-time Super Bowl champion can also earn as much as $750,000 in playing time escalatlors. That leaves over $7 million on the table, which doesn't include sacrificing his 2026 salary. If that doesn't speak to his desire for a change of scenery, then what will?
Conversely, Dean's compromise suggests the Bucs were potentially on the verge of cutting him, or at least considering the idea. It wouldn't be the first time, as previously alluded to; what if he was unwilling to negotiate? Tampa Bay would've found itself in a tricky situation, whether that be finding somewhere to offload the Auburn product or settling for an outright release.
Tampa Bay has told us for months where they stand on Dean with actions, and this being the latest and perhaps final instance. They spent their second- and third-round picks in this year's draft on corners in Benjamin Morrison and Jacob Parrish. The rookie duo and budding fourth-year pro yon McCollum figure to be the future at the positoin for the Bucs.
Dean recorded six tackles and three pass deflections in Tampa Bay's gritty road win in Atlanta. He was targeted 10 times, allowing five receptions for 51 yards across 74 defensive snaps. Pro Football Focus (PFF) gave him a below-average overall grade of 59.5 ($). Nevertheless, his impact as a run-stopper and pass rusher in the secondary was felt, despite a pair of missed tackles.