The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are bringing back safety Kaevon Merriweather, signing him from Detroit’s practice squad on Tuesday. Merriweather spent his entire rookie season and the first half of the 2024 campaign on the Buccaneers’ active roster.
Tampa Bay had an open spot on its 53-man roster after waiving punter Trenton Gill on Monday.
The Buccaneers need help at the safety position after recent injuries to Jordan Whitehead and Mike Edwards. Whitehead is on injured reserve with a pectoral injury, while Edwards suffered an ankle injury in last Sunday’s win over the Carolina Panthers. Additionally, rookie safety Tykee Smith has missed the last three games with a knee issue.
Merriweather originally signed with the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent out of Iowa in May 2023. He made the active roster as a rookie and played in 16 games with two starts, contributing 21 tackles and one assist defended. Merriweather returned to the active roster this season and played in nine of the first 10 games, mostly on special teams. He was waived on November 19 to open a spot for cornerback Troy Hill’s promotion from the practice squad, and the next day he found a spot on the Lions’ practice squad.
