The Buccaneers didn’t activate Jason Pierre-Paul for Thursday night’s narrow 29-28 loss to the Falcons, but don’t be surprised if the veteran pass rusher suits up next week when Tampa Bay travels to Carolina for a pivotal NFC South clash with the 7-6 Panthers.
“Possibly,” head coach Todd Bowles said Friday when asked about Pierre-Paul’s availability for Week 15. “We’ll look at him next week and see what the practice looks like and get a better look at him and kind of gauge it from there.”
Pierre-Paul, now 36, is no stranger to Tampa. He was a key piece of the Bucs’ Super Bowl LV run and logged 33 sacks during his four-year stint with the team from 2018 to 2021. After signing to the practice squad earlier this week, he participated in walk-throughs on Tuesday and Wednesday, but with a short turnaround before Thursday night’s game, it was too soon to elevate him to the active roster.
Still, with the Bucs sitting at 7-7 and in a tight divisional race, his return couldn’t come at a better time. The defense has been inconsistent, and the pass rush-outside of breakout rookie Yaya Diaby-has struggled to generate consistent pressure. Diaby leads the team with six sacks, but the production behind him has been thin.
That’s where Pierre-Paul could make an impact-not just with his play, but with his presence.
“We’ll see what he can do the next couple of weeks,” said outside linebackers coach Larry Foote. “This was a short week, but we worked him out and he looked good.
I worked him out personally. He can still move, he can still bend, and he’s got that God-given freaky ability.
We’ll see what he can do next week.”
It’s not just about sacks. Pierre-Paul brings the kind of energy and leadership that’s hard to replicate.
Since the Bucs’ 6-2 start, they’ve gone 1-5. The team has looked flat at times.
Adding a guy who’s been through the wars, who’s won a Super Bowl in this building, and who still has something left in the tank? That’s a move that’s as much about culture as it is about production.
Foote made it clear this wasn’t a shot at the current outside linebacker group. In fact, he praised their development. But he also acknowledged that JPP brings something different-something intangible.
“He’s a guy that can bring some of the intangibles that we cannot bring as coaches,” Foote said. “His energy, his juice… He’s a South Florida guy, a Miami boy, he loves football.
He’s just a dog-old-school. Hopefully the young guys can benefit just seeing the way he goes about his business.”
Pierre-Paul’s already making his presence felt in the meeting room. Diaby, who’s been a bright spot in an otherwise inconsistent pass rush, said JPP wasted no time jumping in and offering tips.
“Just watching him [on Tuesday] in our meeting room-he was pointing out different things on film,” Diaby said. “He was telling us how offensive linemen were going to set and when they were going to pull just by looking at little things he sees. He’s already trying to help us any way he can.”
For Diaby, the moment is a bit surreal. He grew up watching Pierre-Paul, studied his game, and even sees similarities in their body types and playing styles. Now, he’s learning from him firsthand.
“It feels good, man,” Diaby said. “Growing up, I watched him a lot… Just having played here before and what he did, now having him back is great.”
Foote, who coached Pierre-Paul during his previous stint in Tampa, played a role in bringing him back. And it’s clear the respect runs deep.
“I’m excited he’s back-my all-time favorite [player],” Foote said. “We’re looking for some juice, looking for some energy.
Wasn’t necessarily about what my guys were doing. Those guys are trending, they’re playing well.
But he’s been on the internet looking good, working out, and he’s been making a couple phone calls. So we gave him a workout the other day and he looked good.”
And it’s not just the defense that’s fired up to see No. 90 back in the building. Offensive veterans like Mike Evans, Chris Godwin Jr., and left tackle Tristan Wirfs-players who went to battle with JPP during that 2020 title run-are thrilled to see him back in pewter and red.
“I remember him whipping my ass in training camp when I first got here-him and Shaq Barrett,” Wirfs said with a laugh. “That was horrifying.”
Wirfs, now one of the league’s top left tackles, remembers those early reps against Pierre-Paul vividly. And even though they were on the same team, JPP didn’t take it easy.
“He has an old-school edge about him,” Wirfs said. “I remember playing JPP with the Ravens the year after he left here.
I was a little nervous because I liked it better when he was on our team-because practice doesn’t count. It doesn’t matter going against your own guy.
It seemed like he could just do whatever he wanted to me in practice. I just couldn’t block the guy.”
That kind of presence-both physically and mentally-can’t be overstated. After recording just one sack in Thursday night’s loss, the Bucs need someone who can disrupt the pocket and give this defense a spark. Even if Pierre-Paul doesn’t play every down, his impact could be felt in a big way.
“I think everyone is pumped that he’s here,” Wirfs said. “If nothing else, it will give a boost to everybody knowing he’s here and what he brings to the building with his experience.
He’s a juice guy. It’s awesome and I think we’re all excited.”
The Bucs are in the thick of a division race, clinging to hopes of a fifth straight NFC South title. With three games left and everything on the line, the return of Jason Pierre-Paul could be the jolt this team needs-not just for what he might do on Sundays, but for what he brings every day in the locker room, in the meeting room, and on the practice field.