Report: Jason Pierre-Paul Agrees To Slashed Contract, 2019 Return Appears Likely
September 25th, 2019
Field Yates of ESPN has the details — and it means Jason Pierre-Paul is likely to play this season after recovering from a broken neck but probably not for many games.
Yates has reported that the Bucs and JPP agreed to a new contract that will cut his pay about $3 million for this season, eliminate his 2020 contract and save the Bucs about $4.5 million in salary cap room.
There is uncertainty on when JPP can return, Yates reports, so the deal reflects a compromise.
Pierre-Paul is on the non-football injury list, which means the Bucs didn’t have to pay his full salary of nearly $14 million for 2019. When/if he returns to the field, JPP will be on a prove-it deal and will be a free agent for next season.
Imagine JPP coming back for four games and playing well, then he would score a new contract somewhere next season. If it’s not the Bucs, then that could help the team get a compensatory draft pick, though they just about never get a good one of those.
This move smells of the Bucs already desiring to re-sign 26-year-old NFL sacks leader Shaq Barrett, while hedging their bets that JPP might not be worth cutting this season.
September 25th, 2019 at 9:23 am
Can JPP play on the left side? Him and Shaq on the ends with Vea and Suh in the interior sounds pretty potent.
September 25th, 2019 at 9:28 am
I hate it but it is time to move away from JPP….there are no guarantees as to how he will play…..this looks like a smart deal to me……but let’s use the cap savings to help us now….not next year.
September 25th, 2019 at 9:30 am
Slightly off subject, but it does have to do with sacking the QB. How does Packer’s Preston Smith (3 sacks, 1 FF) get NFC Defensive player of the week when he had ONE LESS sack than Sack Barrett’s 4 sacks and 1 strip FF?!
But at least the Bucs can be proud they helped Danny Dimes get NFC Offensive POW
September 25th, 2019 at 9:31 am
wow let’s bring this dumbarse back after all what better player to mentor the young guys…… drivers ed Thursdays and firework Fridays…. this organization is beyond clueless…
September 25th, 2019 at 9:34 am
Use the extra money and buy 10 kickers.
September 25th, 2019 at 9:39 am
They probably gave defensive player of the week to Preston Smith because the Bucs lost the game and they awarded Jones the offense award. Would be odd to have 2 from the same game but I agree that Shaq was more deserving.
September 25th, 2019 at 9:39 am
Any word on Devin White?…..is he practicing?
September 25th, 2019 at 9:41 am
This is a 6-10 football team at best. Right now they have a 21% chance of making the playoffs and that will plummet after a likely road loss in LA. JPP is not coming back for that so-called critical playoff push. There won’t be one.
Rams currently have a 70% chance of making the playoffs.
September 25th, 2019 at 9:41 am
JPP has shown he can be effective inside. Replace Gholston with him for some percentage of snaps and they both get better. Imagine the left side of an offensive line having to deal with Vea up the gut, JPP on a guard, and Shaq Attack on the the tackle, that’s not half bad. Oh and Suh and Nassib coming off the other side….
It seems Licht after all his swings and misses has finally hit on a couple defensive lineman, too bad it took him five+ years. Also note only one of those five were drafted by the Bucs…
Now all we have to do is draft fourteen more defensive backs and six more kickers and all our problems will be solved.
September 25th, 2019 at 9:46 am
Hear that? That is the sound of apathy. Ten years of losing will do that.
September 25th, 2019 at 9:49 am
Left side JPP
September 25th, 2019 at 10:08 am
The words Jason gump and smart do not belong in the same sentence.
September 25th, 2019 at 10:11 am
Whats going on with Devin White? Hope hes not a Buc Bust.
September 25th, 2019 at 10:15 am
this move shouldve been made in july….
GO BUCS!!!!
September 25th, 2019 at 10:16 am
Where’s @steelstudbuc
So you think brad Johnson was the best Bucs qb vs Jameis here you go. Feast on your eyes.
Brad 64Td 41 int comp 61.8% with hall of fame defense.
Jameis 93 TD 62 int comp61.5% with 3 Head coaches , 10 offensive coordinators etc, no defense and … well let me stop there.
September 25th, 2019 at 10:28 am
With the little cap space we earned maybe it is time to see if a deal for Ramsey can be worked out, trade a 2nd, a DB and TE….
September 25th, 2019 at 10:36 am
This team could very easily be completely out of any race by the time he’s ready.
I don’t see the point in him returning at all.
September 25th, 2019 at 10:41 am
After all this time we finally rework his contract, must be a Jason Licht move
September 25th, 2019 at 10:43 am
Wondering if there is a move in the works???
September 25th, 2019 at 10:48 am
He’ll be back before Halloween
September 25th, 2019 at 10:59 am
Hmm possibly trading for a right tackle?
September 25th, 2019 at 11:26 am
What is it with our Bucs? They hold on to damaged assets hoping and prayin all the time. Sweezy..I mean JPP should have been cut yesteryear! We have had at least 4 opportunities to sign prime DE’s and passed on all of them choosing to add practice meat to our squad. Meanwhile teams who are winners keep adding quality players. I swear this team…..needs to be named after a strong drink..thats what you need to watch them!
September 25th, 2019 at 12:05 pm
Typical Licht (LOSER) move.
September 25th, 2019 at 12:12 pm
Buc1987 Says:
September 25th, 2019 at 10:36 am
This team could very easily be completely out of any race by the time he’s ready.
Dude this team was out of the race before the season even started.
September 25th, 2019 at 12:15 pm
Go get Ramsey !!!!!
September 25th, 2019 at 12:18 pm
Tampabaybucfan Says
“I hate it but it is time to move away from JPP….there are no guarantees as to how he will play…”
They said the same thing about John Lynch when he was released. He played for years at a high level.
I’m fine with cutting his price this year, but negating the contract for next year? Baaaad move. It wasn’t guaranteed. The Bucs could have cut him anyway after the season. You never know what could happen between now and then.
As to those calling him a dumbarse…the man was in an accident late at night. He wasn’t intoxicated. And can anyone here not living with their parents say they’ve never been out late without getting into trouble?
Haven’t we seen enough one year wonders in Tampa?
How do we know Shaq won’t get his contract and then stop producing or get injured? NEVER let go of a high level player unless in trade or unless you have no choice.
September 25th, 2019 at 12:21 pm
Since next year’s contract was not guaranteed, it means JPP was the one who requested he be released from it. The Bucs had not reason to do so. He used this year’s money to get himself free of the team.
September 25th, 2019 at 12:25 pm
Now it makes JPP and his contract a very tradeable one in a pro-rated basis for any contender before the October 29th trade deadline. There will be a slew of legit doctor checkups right before that, and will give clearance (or not) to any acquirer, like the Ravens, Patriots, Eagles, Chiefs…at that point in time. It’s a smart move, and might net is a low 4th rounder, high 5th instead of fooling with a maybe in the Comp Pick formula roulette.
(Mic drop…)
September 25th, 2019 at 12:28 pm
Buccaneer Bonzai
jpp PATTERN OF BEHAVIOR proves he is a certifiable royal dumbarse….. only a dumbarse would flush that much cash down the drain doing stupid crap…. jpp fits this pathetic small market franchise perfectly just another carnival side show.
September 25th, 2019 at 12:43 pm
Cool we freed up some money. Now we trade Cam Brate and sign J Ramsey.
September 25th, 2019 at 1:20 pm
YGBSM … This is the dumbest football deal the Bucs could’ve possibly made. If I were the Bucs’ owners, I’d fire Jason Licht immediately for this blunder.
Bucs were under NO OBLIGATION to pay JPP the $7.4 mil remaining on his 2019 contract while he’s on the NFI list. He’s already made $7.5 mil for this year for contributing ZERO to the Bucs’ defense. ZERO. His contract for 2020 was for $12.5 mil according to Spotrac but wasn’t guaranteed, thus no dead Cap.
JPP had ZERO bargaining power in this. The Bucs held all the cards. He was under contract for next year at $12.5 mil (after incentives) but we could’ve cut him at no cost IF we weren’t satisfied that he was worth it. So with this ‘new deal’ we’ve effectively let him off the hook for next year, but are still paying him an additional $3 or $4 mil this year regardless of whether or not he makes it back. Anyone want to bet that JPP never plays a down for the Bucs this year? Where’s his incentive?
So yes, we freed up some money. Could’ve freed up a LOT more AND kept JPP on the hook for next year. He and his agent just played us, big-time. Dumb dumb dumb.
September 25th, 2019 at 4:53 pm
Shaq is killing it because Suh and Vea are being double teamed.
September 25th, 2019 at 5:54 pm
Having JPP locked up for $12.5M next year – which is a more than fair price if he’s healthy – seemed like the only really good reason to keep him around this year.
What is the point of this? I don’t really get it.
I guess they are taking a $3M chance that JPP will come back this year and help the team win games in Nov and Dec. Instead of cutting him now and saving $7.5M – or hope he comes back and is worth $7.5M playing in just a few games…
Maybe they are eliminating the question of JPPs salary for next year now – so they can make a concerted effort to sign Shaq Barrett to a new deal before he records 10 more sacks and becomes completely unaffordable…
September 25th, 2019 at 11:38 pm
What in the world? Why wouldn’t they just cut him? Why would they make him a FA next year AND pay him when, at best, they might get 3 or 4 games out him? This makes zero sense.