Veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard will not be on the initial 53-man roster in Tampa.
Shepard signed with the Buccaneers this offseason in hopes of reuniting with college teammate Baker Mayfield, but Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that the Bucs have released Shepard on Monday.
Shepard was a 2016 third-round pick of the Giants and he spent his entire career with the team before moving on to the Bucs this year. He had at least 57 catches in each of his first five seasons, but tore his Achilles in 2021 and his ACL in 2022 before returning to a limited role with the NFC East club in 2023.
A return to the practice squad could happen if no other team offers Shepard a spot on their roster and the wideout wants to keep pushing for another chance to catch passes from Mayfield.