In NFL Husky Haven, Tryon-Shoyinka's Time in Tampa Appears Short

The former No. 1 draft pick has plateaued with his production.

Buccaneers edge rusher Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, the former UW player, lets out a yell during a 2024 game at Denver. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Joe Tryon-Shoyinka made a highly strategic move when he left the University of Washington football team and passed up his final Husky season in 2021 as the COVID pandemic raged, sequestering himself in a Florida weight room to remake his body.

The season away from the game seemed to suit him well and he was hardly forgotten -- the edge rusher and one-time second-team All-Pac-12 selection went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as a first-round draft pick, chosen 32nd overall.

Welcomed to Florida as this promising playmaker, the 6-foot-5, 259-pound Tryon-Shoyinka was a full-time starter by his second season.

Even this past year, much was made about the Bucs having six former Huskies on the roster, with Tryon-Shoyinka joined by defensive tackles Vita Vea and Greg Gaines, tight ends Cade Otton and Devin Culp, and wide receiver Jalen McMillan.

Buccaneers edge rushers Anthony Nelson (98) and Joe Tryon-Shoyinka (9) celebrate a safety against the Eagles in 2024. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Yet demonstrating how fleeting life in the NFL can be, this one-time Husky stalwart has seen his career dwindle in terms of snaps and tackles and, as an impending free agent, he's been all but pushed out the door in Tampa.

The Bucs are poised to move on from Tryon-Shoyinka, unwilling to pick up his fifth-year option.

Interestingly enough, he was asked at his UW pro day outing before the draft if he had heard from the Buccaneers as a possible destination and their connection has a been a long one.

"I've definitely talked to the Buccaneers," he said in 2021. "That would be a great place to land for real."

In 15 games and 11 starts, he finished the past regular season with 24 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 pass break-ups and a fumble recovery, with a midseason ankle sprain keeping him out of a pair of games.

He played 539 snaps, which were 41 fewer than 2023 and his tackles were down 21 and his sacks were 3 less.

In a contract year, Tryon-Shoyinka needed to have progressive numbers not ones that showed a fall-off, leaving him almost certainly shopping his talents to other teams. He's known for having a solid burst to get to the quarterback, but his stats haven't shown any uptick.

By all accounts, look for him to have a new NFL home soon.

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