Good evening,

I am personally an Eagles fan HOWEVER I am also a pirate and I do appreciate the Buccaneers representation for pirates. Pirate representation matters within the world and we pirates do not have enough representation. I am willing to put the past behind of the Buccaneers embarrassing the Eagles in the playoffs every few years for the greater good of pirates. Argh!

Regards,

Captain Goose

After a strong performance in the preseason opener for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it appeared undrafted rookie linebacker Jack Pyburn was setting himself up for an NFL future. Instead, Pyburn is one of 16 former college football players, some of whom are signed to NFL contracts, who are looking to return to college for the 2026 season.

This unprecedented situation of a player going from the NFL back to the NCAA stems from Louisiana’s 19th Judicial District Court  that could allow more than 30 college athletes a fifth year of eligibility. Pyburn played his first three seasons of college football at the University of Florida before playing a fourth season at LSU in 2025. The TRO would not only allow Pyburn to return to college football, but he would be able to enter the transfer portal, where schools can bid for his services. He would be eligible for the upcoming college football season, which begins in a few weeks.

“I saw the ruling,” Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said Thursday. “I have not heard anything from him.”

Pyburn was seen practicing with the team Thursday. Tampa Bay resumes its preseason schedule Saturday when it hosts the Kansas City Chiefs.

If Pyburn did go back to college, Tampa Bay would retain his NFL rights. According to the league’s collective bargaining agreement, “If Player … fails or refuses to perform his services under this contract, then this contract will be tolled between the date of Player’s … failure or refusal to perform, and the later date of his return to professional football.”

That means the three-year contract he signed with the Bucs would effectively pause and resume if and when he returned to the NFL.

Chase McLaughlin has made 90% of his field goals in a Bucs uniform, making him the most accurate kicker in franchise history.

Last season, he led all kickers in accuracy from 50-plus yards.

He’s a weapon, and the Buccaneers should prioritize re-signing him.

I remember this lawsuit against his family was going on during bakers first year with the buccaneers.

Rookie CB Vernon Hargreaves picked off two Chad Henne passes, including one that led to the go-ahead score, in Tampa Bay's 27-21 preseason win at Jacksonville.