NFL

Rice was a defensive force credited with 69.5 sacks over his six seasons in Tampa Bay. That includes a stellar Super Bowl XXXVII performance.

After games at Atlanta and Houston, Tampa Bay hosts the New York Jets and NFL champ Philadelphia. The defending NFC South winners close with a three-game homestand and visits to Miami and Carolina.

He played in the shadow of his quarterback younger brother while they were coached by their father in college. However, he ended up in a favorable spot with Tampa Bay, which needs help in the secondary.

After selecting Ohio State receiver Emeka Egbuka in the first round, the Bucs worked to bolster their pass rush and secondary while signing massive Gators defensive tackle Desmond Watson — of Plant City — as an undrafted free agent.

Tampa Bay has managed to finish atop its division in recent years but needs to add talent to stay ahead of the pack. It will have that opportunity in the NFL draft, which runs Thursday through Saturday in Green Bay.

There have been no official proposals for what the Bucs will do once their lease ends in 2028, but ownership is talking about stadium improvements, not a replacement.

Weight was one of several eye-popping numbers for the 6-foot-6 prospect at his University of Florida pro day. Gators coach Billy Napier calls the Hillsborough County native "a unicorn.”

Gruden, who led Tampa Bay to a Super Bowl victory after the 2002 season, was inducted into the Ring of Honor in 2017 but removed four years later amid an email scandal.

The FBI complaint filed in the Middle District of Florida doesn't name the athletes but it lists burglaries already made public involving Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce, Joe Burrow and players for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The Associated Press reports the Bucs' offensive coordinator had agreed to a contract that would have made him one of the NFL's highest-paid coordinators, but chose Jacksonville after its general manager was fired.

Tampa Bay's season ends as rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels leads Washington to Zane Gonzalez's 37-yard winning kick, which clanged off the right upright and went through as time expired.

Baker Mayfield throws five TD passes as the Bucs won for the fifth time in their last six games. Atlanta's loss to Washington means Tampa Bay can clinch the division by beating New Orleans this Sunday.