The Florida Gators‘ Desmond Watson heads to the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and becomes the heaviest player in the history of the sport. So how much will he earn after going undrafted?
Nobody wanted to use up a 2025 NFL Draft pick on the defensive tackle, but the Raymond James Stadium didn’t waste much time securing his services through free agency.
As a result, they allow the 6ft5in 464-pound player to remain in Florida as he kicks off his career in the sport, with fans keen to see what kind of hits he can land on running backs, receivers and quarterbacks.
So how much will he earn as he finally embarks on his NFL journey? The Buccaneers have him down to a modest contract, which will see him earn $50,000 in guaranteed money and $20,000 as a signing bonus.
Will Desmond Watson’s weight be a problem?
The immediate draw to Watson is his huge size and weight. Clocking in at 464lbs, he eclipses the Houston Texans‘ Trent Brown by nearly 100 pounds, prompting fears he could be too big for his own good.
However, this claim isn’t really supported from his statistics from the NFL Pro Day, with Watson producing a 5.93-second time in the 40-yard dash, as well as a 25-inch vertical jump and 36 reps on the bench press.
Showing handy speed and devastating power, this is not someone who is big for the sake of being big and it’s part of why he made 63 sacks throughout his collegiate career and appeared in every game.
It remains to be seen whether the Buccaneers will want him slimmer, but if they do then he is familiar with the process. Although he said he has struggled in the past, he’s now turned to a weight and fitness specialist and feels on top of his weight management.
“There are times when I do basically starving and stuff like that,” Watson said of his weight loss management. “I didn’t feel confident that way.
“I didn’t feel strong, I didn’t feel fast. I feel like now is the best I’ve felt with the process of losing weight.”
When is the NFL back?
The NFL will return for the 2025/26 season on Thursday, September 4 as the Philadelphia Eagles welcome their Super Bowl winning team back to the Lincoln Financial Field.
Schedules have not yet been released, but the Buccaneers are due to take on rivals from the NFC South and NFC West, as well as the AFC East, the Eagles, Detroit Lions and the Houston Texans.
They aim to improve upon a 10-7 record that saw them reach the Wild Card round of the NFL Playoffs, where they were narrowly beaten 23-20 by Jayden Daniels‘ Washington Commanders.
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