Buccaneers sign a familiar face no one saw coming to help solve defensive struggles

Desperate times call for desperate measures, which is exactly the position the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are in right now.

After an embarrassing loss to the last-place New Orleans Saints, the Bucs have decided to try and fix their defensive woes by reuniting with former Super Bowl champion Jason Pierre-Paul. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero reported on Monday that Tampa Bay was bringing in JPP for a workout, and not long after, Ian Rapoport reported that the team was signing him to a deal.

It's truly an out-of-nowhere move, as Pierre-Paul is essentially coming out of soft retirement to suit up for the Bucs again. The last time he was in Tampa, things went pretty well, as he helped the defense smother Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs to win Super Bowl 55.

Jason Pierre-Paul is returning to Tampa Bay at exactly the right time, but will it help anything?

There's really two notable things about this workout, and only one of them has to do with actual on-field performance. It's been no secret that Tampa Bay's pass rush has been underwhelming -- and that's putting it lightly.

Jason Licht attempted to remedy the situation by bringing in Haason Reddick in free agency, a move that proved to be the priciest external addition the Bucs have made since the Tom Brady era.

That gamble has largely failed to pay off. Reddick hasn't done much to fix the pass rush and every single game of the Bucs' midseason slump ahead of the bye week.

Essentially, the most important free agent signing didn't show up when the Bucs needed him most. Reddick is back in the lineup, but as we saw in Sunday's loss to the Saints the pass rush is still a major issue.

Bringing in a 36-year-old who hasn't played since 2023 is hardly the sort of elixir that will instantly fix things, but Pierre-Paul is a familiar face and that counts for a lot. On the surface it counts as far as bringing someone back who knew the vibes when they were good, and cane potentially help restore them, but he's a friendly precense for Todd Bowles to lean on.

Bowles' seat is getting increasingly hot as the losing streak continues, and this feels like the sort of Hail Mary to restore some order a team that knows it's on the brink does. That being said, having JPP back is a boost for a Bucs defense desperate for any sort of spark.

This also isn't the first time the team has tried to turn back the clocks with a veteran reunion. When the season was hitting the skids last season, the Bucs signed Shaq Barrett after he was granted a release by the Miami Dolphins.

It was a deal that ended up not making much of an impact, but at the very least the Bucs are trying something which is a lot better than the way things have been going.