Former Buccaneers WR Deven Thompkins cleared by NFL after domestic abuse allegations

At the start of June, Tampa Bay made the stunning decision to release third-year wide receiver Deven Thompkins, who was the Buccaneers' primary kick and punt returner in the past two seasons. Tampa Bay did release Thompkins with an injury destination, and head coach Todd Bowles backed that up as the reason for Thompkins' abrupt dismissal.

“He was injured, so we needed some healthy bodies, and we’ll take care of that, but the door is open," Bowles said. "We understand it’s a tough business, and he understands that as well, so we’ll see what happens."

Just days later, it turned out that Thompkins' release was not entirely based on a potential injury. Instead, Thompkins was accused of domestic violence toward his wife, Maria Castilhos, who posted several photos and videos showing bruises on her face, elbow, and wrist on TikTok. Thompkins and Castilhos were in the midst of a divorce, which Castilhos said she wanted because “he would’ve killed me.”

In response, Thompkins denied all allegations of domestic violence toward Castilhos, with his lawyers claiming the roles were reversed. The lawyers later called Thompkins a victim of blackmail and accused Castilhos of altering the photos she posted on social media.

On Monday, the NFL came to a conclusion on the conflict between Thompkins and Castilhos, and said that Thompkins is cleared of the allegations, per NFL insider Greg Auman.

"Following a review of the matter, the league did not discover sufficient evidence to support a finding of a violation of the personal conduct policy,” the NFL’s Brian McCarthy said via Auman.

Could the Buccaneers bring Deven Thompkins back after he was cleared by NFL?

Provided that Thompkins clears a waiver, the wide receiver will be able to sign with any NFL team ahead of the 2024 season, and could even return to Tampa Bay as their primary special teams return man. Thompkins would be a safe choice for the Bucs at kick and punt returner, and a cost-effective solution, as well.

During his two seasons as a Buc, Thompkins played in 22 games and caught 22 of 35 targets for 115 yards and a touchdown while running 10 times for 82 yards. As a rookie, Thompkins took 12 kickoff returns for 263 yards and 382 all-purpose yards. In 2023, Thompkins thrived as the Buccaneers' primary return specialist, playing in all 17 games and returning 16 kickoffs for 327 yards and 25 punts for 234 yards.

Even so, Tampa Bay quickly signed former Seattle wide receiver Cody Johnson days after Thompkins' release, and later signed former New York receiver Sterling Shepard, who reunites with former college teammate Baker Mayfield. Coupled with Jalen McMillan, Trey Palmer, and Rakim Jarrett stepping up in kickoff drills, and the need to bring back Thompkins isn't exactly high.

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