Defensive tackle Desmond Watson was signed to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ practice squad on Tuesday, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the team didn’t announce the move.
Watson, who played at Florida, was originally signed by the Buccaneers after going undrafted in April. He weighed 464 pounds at the school’s pro day and was considered the heaviest player in NFL history.
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The 6-foot-6 Watson lost 25 to 30 pounds before the draft but didn’t get a chance to practice with the Buccaneers because he didn’t lose enough weight. He spent training camp on the non-football injury list.
Watson worked with a team nutritionist during the offseason but the Buccaneers didn’t say what would be an ideal playing weight for him. On Monday, coach Todd Bowles said Watson had a “good workout” when the team brought him in last week.
The Buccaneers (3-0) host the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles (3-0) in a battle of undefeated teams on Sunday. The Eagles are known for using the tush push in short-yardage situations.
“We’ll never bring him in just to stop a tush push. If we’ve got to bring in a guy to stop one play and the tush push never comes up, you’re wasting your time,” Bowles said. “If we bring him in, we think he can play, not just for a Philadelphia thing. It’s very unlikely he’d be ready to play, once we bring him in, for Philadelphia right now anyway. It’s just a matter of us making room and seeing if we have a place for him, and then what we see for him in the future.”
