The Tampa Bay Buccaneers surprised some fans this offseason when they re-signed Cade Otton, because it seemed like a foregone conclusion that the starting tight end would leave. Though an Otton move was not necessarily seen as an inevitability or an exit to greener pastures, there was a sense that a lot of clubs around the NFL were interested in Otton, believing they could turn his raw pass-catching tools into something more than the Bucs were able to.
But the Bucs kept him, and they did not draft Kenyon Sadiq in the first round either, instead waiting until the sixth round in a deep 2026 NFL Draft class at the tight end position. So for one more season, Otton is going to be the No. 1 in Tampa Bay.
While you wouldn't expect Otton to be on the lips of the most mainstream NFL analysts around, during his bold prediction for the Buccaneers as contenders in 2026, former quarterback Dan Orlovsky specifically shouted Otton out.
Cade Otton is ready to break out in 2026
The former Detroit Lions QB said of the current Buc on the Pat McAfee Show, via Joe Bucs Fan, “I think Baker’s awesome. I love Bucky Irving. Their tight end [Cade Otton] is really good. I think their receivers — and I know they lose Mike Evans — Emeka Egbuka is going to take a huge step forward. [Jalen] McMillan’s a really nice player. They still have [Chris] Godwin. So they’ve got plenty of people to throw the football to. Plenty.”
Orlovsky does not sound one bit concerned about the departure of Mike Evans, and while Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans would agree with that sentiment given all the young talent on the roster that Orlovsky mentions, that isn't actually a common refrain from the mainstream media.
And neither is the for Otton, specifically. For most Buccaneers fans, Otton is a bit of a disappointment and very inconsistent. He can have huge games, like he did at the end of the season against the rival Carolina Panthers, but he also goes cold for stretches and struggles to get open in comparison to the caliber of athlete that he is.
Last season, Cade Otton only caught 59 passes for 572 yards and a touchdown, which is really poor production when factoring in that Baker Mayfield was his quarterback and that so many key receivers were injured. But with Zac Robinson as the offensive coordinator, the tight end position is going to be more important, and there are hopes of better days for Otton.
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