Given the high number of injuries the Bucs have had this season, especially with the amount that has happened at inside linebacker in recent weeks, Tampa Bay signing an inside linebacker was bound to happen soon. It was reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter on Tuesday that the Bucs have signed veteran Deion Jones to the practice squad.

With K.J. Britt (ankle) and J.J. Russell (hamstring) missing last game, the Bucs were very thin at linebacker yet were still able to beat the Raiders, 28-13. The news didn’t seem much better about Britt for a potential return this week based on Todd Bowles’ comments.

“It’s too early to tell,” Bowles said on Monday. “But if he hasn’t run yet, I would venture to say he probably wouldn’t [be].”

This would leave Lavonte David along with two-year player Vi Jones and rookie Antonio Grier Jr. as the only available and healthy linebackers if Russell is still out.

Deion Jones Has Familiarity With The Bucs And NFC South

New Bucs ILB Deion Jones – Photo by: USA Today

Deion Jones has been in the NFL for a long time with this season being his ninth year. In his prime, Jones was a very exciting inside linebacker that made a lot of plays. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the second round out of LSU in 2016, playing for Atlanta from 2016 to 2022.

He was traded from the Falcons to the Browns during the 2022 season playing a year there, then with the Panthers in 2023 and was then signed to the Bills practice squad this season in 2024.

Coincidentally, Jones made his NFL debut against the Bucs in 2016. And if Bucs fans are wondering why his name sounds so familiar, that’s because Jones had a game-winning pick-six in overtime for Atlanta off Jameis Winston in the 2019 season finale, giving the Winston his 30th interception of the year and cementing an infamous “30 for 30” season in which Winston threw 33 touchdowns and 30 interceptions.

This was Winston’s last pass in a Tampa Bay uniform, making his first and last pass as a Buccaneer an interception.

Bucs ILB Deion Jones – Photo by: USA Today

In his career, Jones has recorded 731 tackles, 12 sacks, five forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 53 pass breakups, 13 interceptions and five defense touchdowns. He made the PWFA All-Rookie team in 2016 and was selected to the Pro Bowl a year later in 2017.

The Bucs aren’t getting the version of Jones that was a staple of Atlanta’s defense for several years. But they are getting a savvy player that brings a lot of experience and a knack for making big plays. Tampa Bay has been starving for that, and hopefully Tykee Smith’s interception last week against the Raiders is a sign of more to come from this group.

We’ll see if Jones eventually gets elevated to the practice squad if Tampa Bay needs him. His addition at least gives the team another option in a season where the Bucs have needed pretty much everybody on the roster – and even some on the practice squad.