Following their victory in Super Bowl LV, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers selected Joe Tryon-Shoyinka with the No. 32 overall pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.
He was expected to become the team’s next star pass rusher while learning behind veterans Jason Pierre-Paul and Shaq Barrett.
But Tryon-Shoyinka never lived up to those expectations in Tampa Bay, recording just 15 sacks across four seasons. The Buccaneers declined his fifth-year option, allowing him to hit free agency.
After brief stops with multiple teams following his departure from Tampa Bay, Tryon-Shoyinka has now decided to call it a career.
Joe Tryon-Shoyinka announces retirement from the NFL
Tryon-Shoyinka’s retirement comes as a surprise considering he’s still only 27 years old.
He signed with the Philadelphia Eagles earlier this offseason, but his path to making the roster became more difficult after the team added veteran pass rusher A.J. Epenesa last week.
Last season, Tryon-Shoyinka played for the Chicago Bears before being traded to the Cleveland Browns. He failed to record a sack with either team.
Ironically, Tampa Bay ended up being the most productive stop of his NFL career. While he showed flashes, he never recorded more than five sacks in a single season. That level of production may have been acceptable from a rotational player, but the Buccaneers expected far more from a first-round pick.
According to Spotrac, Tryon-Shoyinka earned approximately $16 million during his NFL career, including $11.1 million guaranteed on his rookie contract with Tampa Bay. The NFL stands for “Not For Long,” and Tryon-Shoyinka leaves the game having earned generational wealth while preserving his long-term health.
The Buccaneers are hoping for a much different outcome from their latest first-round pass rusher, Rueben Bain Jr., who already looks poised to make an immediate impact.
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