Buccaneers cut 449-pound Desmond Watson as NFL dream hits major roadblock

The Buccaneers had some health-related milestones they wanted 449-pound rookie Desmond Watson to hit before he could even practice with the team.

The heaviest player in the NFL history reportedly could not hit those and the Buccaneers opted to move on.

Tampa Bay waived Watson ahead of Tuesday’s roster cuts and is currently not planning to sign him to the practice squad, according to Fox Sports.

The Buccaneers placed Watson on the non-football illness list at the start of training camp to allow him time to try to meet the weight-loss and conditional goals, and reportedly opted to cut ties rather than place him on the reserve/non-football injury list.

“He’s still working. Job’s not finished,” Watson’s agent, EJ Gonzalez, said to the Associated Press.

Watson’s weight became a national storyline when he weighed in at 464 pounds at Florida’s pro day roughly one month before the 2025 NFL Draft.

No team drafted him, but the Buccaneers added the Florida native as an undrafted free agent, reportedly inking a three-year contract with $50,00 guaranteed, including a $20,000 signing bonus.

Watson dropped weight to get down to 449 pounds, but the team didn’t feel comfortable enough with his conditioning to let him practice.

That led to him being placed on the non-football illness list.

“We have some milestones we want him to hit before we get him out there,” Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht said earlier this month, per Pro Football Talk. “He’s doing a solid job getting there.”

Added head coach Todd Bowles: “We didn’t get him for the Tush Push,” Bowles said. “We got him because we really thought he could play. It’s just a matter of getting up to a point where he can play more than three to three plays a drive.”

Watson did not appear in any of the team’s three preseason games while trying to get his weight to a range in which the team would be comfortable letting him suit up.

Teams will have the chance to claim Watson on waivers, but he will be a free agent should he not be added by another organization.

It’s possible another team could sign him to its practice squad, which would allow him another shot to accomplish his dream of playing in the NFL.

He admitted before the draft that losing weight has always been a challenge for him.

“It’s been like my same problem — not problem, but my same concern throughout college,” Watson told Fox. “I’m getting more in depth, getting a better grasp of the things I need to do to be successful at the next level. It’s been interesting. I’ve learned a lot about myself in this process.”