The Bucs have signed former two-time Super Bowl champion edge rusher Jason Pierre-Paul to their practice squad, per reports. Pierre-Paul, known as JPP played for the Bucs from 2018 to 2021, winning a Super Bowl with Tampa Bay for the 2020 season. Pierre-Paul is 36 years old and last played in a regular season game in 2023 for the Miami Dolphins.

Bucs OLB Jason Pierre-Paul – Photo by: USA Today

Pierre-Paul was at Raymond James Stadium  in Week 3 at Tampa Bay’s home opener for the Bucs’ 50-year anniversary celebration, coming on the field at halftime with several other former players and coaches. A couple of months later and he’s putting on a Bucs helmet once again.

Jason Pierre-Paul’s NFL And Bucs History

JPP was already familiar with Tampa as he played his last year of college football at USF. He was drafted by the Giants 15th overall in the 2010 NFL Draft. He won his first Super Bowl in his second season with New York as the Giants defeated the Patriots in Super Bowl XLVI. Pierre-Paul was also first-team All Pro that year, recording a career high 16.5 sacks.

Through his career with the Giants, he recorded 59 sacks between the regular season and postseason along with making two Pro Bowls, earning first time All-Pro and winning a Super Bowl. There was also a controversial moment with him on the 4th of July in 2015 when a fireworks accident resulted in him losing two of his fingers on his on right hand. He only played in eight games that season, but rebounded in the following years.

The Bucs acquired JPP in 2018 via a trade with the Giants, giving them a third round pick and a swap of fourth round picks. Pierre-Paul quickly reinvigorated the Bucs pass rush — putting up 12.5 sacks that first season and ending Tampa’s long drought of having a player record double-digit sacks. Many credit the trade of Pierre-Paul as an early turning point in Tampa Bay’s future success.

Bucs DE Jason Pierre-Paul – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

The 2019 season saw the Bucs sign edge rusher Shaq Barrett as Barrett and JPP formed a dynamic duo on the outside, with Barrett breaking the Bucs’ single-season sack record with 19.5 sacks, while Pierre-Paul was great with 8.5 sacks in 10 games. JPP had suffered a neck fracture from a car accident in the offseason, so he missed the first half of the season. The fact that he returned and dominated was incredible.

The 2020 season was a monumental year for the Bucs and Pierre-Paul as Tampa Bay won their second Super Bowl in franchise history and the second Super Bowl championship of Pierre-Paul’s career. He was the only Bucs player to make the Pro Bowl that year as he recorded 9.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and two interceptions. During the championship run he had two sacks in the NFC Championship, and while he didn’t have a sack in the Super Bowl LV win against the Chiefs, he and Barrett were menaces on Patrick Mahomes pressuring him all game.

Bucs OLB Jason Pierre-Paul – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

JPP’s last season on this first run with Tampa Bay came in 2021. He toughed out a torn rotator cuff injury but it severely limited him in his play as he just 2.5 sacks in 12 games. Tampa Bay elected not to re-sign him in the offseason and Pierre-Paul then spent time with the Ravens, Saints and Dolphins over the next two seasons.

Pierre-Paul has 94.5 career sacks in the NFL along with 21 forced fumbles, five interceptions, three defensive touchdowns and two Super Bowl titles.

Former Bucs OLBs Shaquil Barrett andJason Pierre-Paul and DT Ndamukong Suh – Photo by: USA Today

Bucs Pass Rush Outlook

The Bucs have had trouble generating pressure with a four-man pass rush, especially because of what they have at outside linebacker. Yaya Diaby leads the way for Tampa Bay with six sacks. He’s hustles a lot and is relentless, but doesn’t have the skillset to be a true number one edge rusher.

Haason Reddick has been injured for the majority of the season, having just 1.5 sacks on the year. He just came back two weeks ago in a win over the Cardinals, but injured his ankle on Sunday against the Saints and could be out for this Thursday night game against the Falcons.

Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby – Photo by: USA Today

Anthony Nelson had a stellar game a month ago in New Orleans with a defensive touchdown on a pick-six, one sack and one forced fumble, but that’s the only game that’s stood out with him. While Chris Braswell recorded his first sack of the season on Sunday, he’s been a bust through two seasons. Other outside linebackers Markees Watts and Mo Kamara on the practice squad haven’t provided a spark.

Tampa Bay has been down this road before by bringing Shaq Barrett out of retirement last season. He wasn’t the player he was in his first run with the Bucs and didn’t have much of an impact. It wouldn’t be fair to say that Pierre-Paul, who hasn’t played in two seasons, is going to save the Bucs’ defense.

Bucs OLB Jason Pierre-Paul – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

We’ll see how much he has left to give. Ideally it would make sense to play him on just third downs to rush the passer. What Pierre-Paul does bring is that fire and brimstone attitude that the Bucs desperately need. He’s been a vocal leader that will call players out and hold others accountable. The Bucs don’t have many ass kickers on defense, and JPP was when he was in Tampa.

Bucs OLB Jason Pierre-Paul – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Don’t expect an all-world performance if JPP is even called up for a game or two. But from an emotional standpoint, it doesn’t hurt to have him on Tampa Bay’s side.