Desmond Watson, the 6-foot-4 undrafted rookie defensive lineman, has been waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Fox Sports‘ Greg Auman reported on Monday.
At 449-pounds, Watson, 22, became the heaviest player in NFL history when the Buccaneers signed him after he went undrafted in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Buccaneers, however, later placed him on the non-football injury list as he worked on losing weight during training camp, CBS Sports reported.
During his college days with the Florida Gators, Watson stood at 464 pounds, meaning that he managed to lose some weight. The Buccaneers had reportedly set their sights on him evolving into a defensive powerhouse when they signed him.
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Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles also initially opened up on Watson being placed on the non-football injury list and the reason behind their decision.
“It’s just about trying to get him better, to be a healthier player and getting him on the field a little more,” Bowles said earlier in training camp. “That’s kind of where I’m at right now. He’s working at it and we’re working with him and that’s all you can ask right now.”
Following his draft, Watson touched on the significance of his weight in the NFL and said he was opposed to being regarded just for that.
“I feel like my name is etched in history, of course, as the official heaviest player in the NFL, or whatnot,” Watson said. “It’s a good story; at the same time I don’t want it to be my narrative. I want to be known as a football player, and a good football player at that. But it’s nice to be able to make history … I guess again because I did it in college, too. It’s nice to be able to make history but all in all, I am a football player and I want to be known as a good one. So it’s just a process that comes with it, I guess.”
Auman said that Watson is currently not joining the Buccaneers’ practice squad – meaning that he has to look for openings with other teams. The deadline for NFL teams to reduce their rosters to 53 players is Tuesday. Should Watson be signed by another team, he could write his name in the history books by becoming the heaviest player to feature in an NFL game, per CBS Sports.
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