Buccaneers place 449-pound rookie Desmond Watson on NFI list due to weight

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed one of the most intriguing undrafted free agents this offseason in former Florida defensive tackle Desmond Watson. However, it was understood he would need to lose weight if he wanted to play at the next level.

Watson played football for the Gators at 6-foot-5, 464 pounds, and he has worked hard to get down to around 450 pounds. Despite the progress Watson has made, he opened up training camp on the non-football injury list due to his weight. 

“It’s just about trying to get him better, to be a healthier player and getting him on the field a little more,” Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said, via Fox 13. “That’s kind of where I’m at right now. He’s working at it and we’re working with him and that’s all you can ask right now.” 

It remains to be seen how much more weight the Buccaneers would like to see Watson lose. His chances of making the final 53-man roster appear relatively slim, but Watson could make NFL history as the heaviest player to play in a game. 

In four seasons at Florida, Watson recorded 63 combined tackles, four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. The potential “tush-push killer” is not just a big body along the defensive front. He’s a legitimate athlete. At Florida’s pro day, Watson registered a 25-inch vertical, repped 225 pounds 36 times on the bench press and ran the 40-yard dash in 5.86 seconds, per USA Today.

Watson has the potential to be a formidable run-stuffer for the Bucs, but he’s going to have to lose more weight first.