The Bucs made somewhat of a surprising roster move Thursday evening, waiving third-year wide receiver Deven Thompkins with an injury designation.

Bucs WR Deven Thompkins – Photo by: USA Today

Thompkins originally signed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent out of Utah State in 2022. After a final collegiate season that saw him catch 102 passes for 1,704 yards and 10 touchdowns, the 5-foot-8, 155-pound receiver made the Bucs practice squad out of training camp before eventually playing in six games as a rookie.

During his rookie season, Thompkins took over for Jaelon Darden as the Bucs’ primary return man. That was a position he held throughout the rest of the year and all the way through his second season in Tampa.

Over the course of his two seasons with the Bucs, he played in 22 games and caught 22 of his 35 targets for 115 yards and a touchdown while running 10 times for 82 yards.

As a return man, Thompkins returned 31 punts for 295 yards (9.5 avg.) and returned 28 kicks for 590 yards (21.1 avg.).

Bucs Will Now Look For A New Return Man

Bucs WR-KR-PR Deven Thompkins – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

With Thompkins being waived, the Bucs will now look at their in-house options to find a replacement returner ahead of the 2024 season.

As recently as Tuesday’s practice, Thompkins was seen getting reps as a returner. Second-year wide receiver Trey Palmer, rookie running back Bucky Irving, third-year running back Rachaad White and rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan also got reps during the practice.

With the new kickoff format being introduced to the NFL in 2024, Tampa Bay may be looking to approach its special teams in a different way — especially with new special teams coordinator Thomas McGaughey taking over for the retired Keith Armstrong.

In terms of the wide receiver room, Tampa Bay has Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan, Trey Palmer and Rakim Jarrett. Thompkins seemed likely to be the No  6 receiver if the team kept six, but now that spot will be up for grabs heading into the rest of OTAs, mandatory mini-camp and training camp.

Thompkins was waived with an injury designation, but the team didn’t provide any details about the injury or when it might have occurred.