Bucs Gameday

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Bring Back Familiar Face to Defense

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers continue to add to their safety depth with a familiar name.

River Wells

Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Ryan Neal (23) reacts after Tennessee Titans place kicker Nick Folk missed a field goal during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Ryan Neal (23) reacts after Tennessee Titans place kicker Nick Folk missed a field goal during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla., Sunday, Nov. 12, 2023. / Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK
In this story:

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have very thin depth at safety due to a multitude of injuries. Sometimes, situations like that can lead to reunions you never expected.

The Bucs are in for one such reunion this week, as the Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud reported on Tuesday that the Buccaneers are bringing back safety Ryan Neal to the team's practice squad. Neal was previously the team's starting safety opposite Antoine Winfield Jr. during the 2023 season.

READ MORE: Starting Buccaneers Safety Gets Huge Injury Update

Neal's 2023 campaign didn't go particularly well. He graded out with a 46.7 overall Pro Football Focus grade in 2023 and an abysmal 39.0 coverage grade, and those reasons led to Tampa Bay not re-signing him in 2024 and moving on to Jordan Whitehead instead. Now, however, Whitehead has an injured pectoral and is on injured reserve while his replacement, Mike Edwards, strained his hamstring and will be out for at least a week.

Neal is on the practice squad, so the Buccaneers don't seem to think he'll be a massive contributor. But he knows the defense well from last year and could be relied upon in a pinch — and with Whitehead and Edwards both down for Week 14, that pinch could come on Sunday against the Las Vegas Raiders.

READ MORE: Buccaneers Re-Sign Safety From Detroit Lions Practice Squad as Injuries Mount

Stick with BucsGameday for more coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2024 season.

Follow BucsGameday on Twitter and Facebook

More Tampa Bay Buccaneers News

• Todd Bowles Gives Injury Update on Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield

• Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles Gives Injury Update for 2 Injured Defensive Starters

• Former Oklahoma Sooners QB Baker Mayfield Speaks on College Football Flag Planting Trend

• Panthers Player Gets Into it With Buccaneers Player After Loss

Published
River Wells
RIVER WELLS

River Wells is a sports journalist from St. Petersburg, Florida, who has covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 2023. He graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Florida in 2021. You can follow him on Twitter @riverhwells.

Home/Tampa Bay Buccaneers News