Sterling Shepard Is Back With The Bucs To Ball With Baker Mayfield

The Bucs re-signing veteran wide receiver Sterling Shepard was unlike any other move made by the team so far this offseason. General manager Jason Licht took it upon himself to break the news, and Shepard spoke on Wednesday afternoon about his excitement to be in Tampa Bay for another season.

After not making the 53-man roster entering last season, he worked his way to the active roster and played a larger than expected role after injuries to wide receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, and Jalen McMillan at various points. Shepard will be in a similar spot fighting to make the team next season, but he sees himself being in an ideal spot.

Sterling Shepard Doesn’t Want To Catches Passes From Anyone But Baker Mayfield

Sterling Shepard was once a mighty cog in the Giants offense after they drafted him in the second round back in 2016. Over a five-year span from 2016 to 2020, Shepard averaged 63 receptions for 704 receiving yards and four touchdowns. Mainly working as a No. 2 wide receiver, he posted solid production before serious injuries derailed his career.

He signed with the Bucs after trading in “daddy mode” to catch passes from quarterback Baker Mayfield, whom he played with in college at Oklahoma. In the process, Shepard had his best season statistically since 2021, recording 32 receptions for 334 receiving yards and a touchdown.

After saying that “I feel like this is the best situation for me [with] where my career is,” he shared that Mayfield is the only signal-caller he wants to catch passes from – and the reason why he’s here in the first place.

“Baker is one of those quarterbacks that you want to give your all for and it has been that way since college,” Shepard said. “It’s been that way since my senior year when I got a chance to play with him. Obviously, I was on the road to retirement last year, and he gave me that call. I wouldn’t want to come back and play for anybody else.

“If I had to choose between going to go spend time with my kids or going to go play football, if I was going to decide to play football, it would be with Baker Mayfield. I wouldn’t want to do it with anybody else. I’m very blessed and fortunate to be in the position I am right now and I can’t wait to just put on a helmet and go to work.”

Shepard returns on a one-year deal worth up to $2.25 million with $500,000 guaranteed. That puts him in the running to be the Bucs No. 4 wide receiver, where he will be competing with the likes of Trey Palmer, Rakim Jarrett, Kameron Johnson, and Ryan Miller.

Should the team draft another wideout in the 2025 NFL Draft, it would only make the competition within the wide receiver room that much stronger. The newly turned 32-year-old would not have it any other way than to battle with teammates he has formed close bonds with.

“In my nine years in the NFL, I’ve been a part of a lot of groups and not one has been as close as the guys we’ve had in this locker room, especially in the wide receiver room,” Shepard said. “You’ve got veteran guys in there and then you’ve got a good balance of younger guys, as well, so we’re able to speak life into those guys and help them in any way that they need. But we also have the experience in the room with Mike [Evans] and Chris [Godwin] – guys that have done it at a high level for a long time.

“It’s a special combination. Like I said, I’m just super excited to be back as a part of this crew, and this group of guys, because I feel like we have something special coming, and we’ve just got to put it all the way together.”

Sterling Shepard Is Ready To Leave It All On The Line In 2025

Through Sterling Shepard’s nine NFL seasons, he averaged just 12 games a season. Having missed a lot of time, Shepard worked hard to get himself in shape and make up for it by contributing to the Bucs’ offense last season.

That meant shaking off rust and truly appreciating the chance he received.

Were the Bucs to never call and express interest, it is very likely Shepard would be out of the league. Knowing how close to the end he was to his playing career has given him newfound vigor and a drive to leave it all on the line next season.

“Being here, it gave me a different type of motivation, like I was able to actually play more than being in New York, and I got to show what I had to offer to the team, which was great and it kind of gave me like a resurgence and an energy to play the game again,” Shepard said about being reinvigorated after playing in 14 games last season.

“It’s brought that excitement back for me and I attribute that to the guys around me. Seeing the way that Mike [Evans] attacks the game, seeing the way that Baker [Mayfield] attacks the game, Tristan [Wirfs], and all of those guys – it lights you up and it makes you want to give your all for those guys.”

After seemingly running on fumes and looking like a shell of himself during his last year with the Giants in 2023, Shepard is gassed up and ready to play as big of a role as he can in 2025. He knows better than anyone how nothing is given and that these opportunities are earned.

“I knew that I had a lot to give in the tank after leaving New York – it was just kind of the situation and not really being in a position to play as much and them wanting to go with the younger guys, which was understandable,” Shepard added. “I knew I had a lot more to give and as soon as I got my opportunity, I tried to make the most of it.

“I feel like I have a little bit of ball left to play and I just want to max it out all of the way. I feel like I can clean up some of the stuff that I did last year. It was more ball than I got to play in a long time last year, so I feel like getting that underneath me is going to help me out.””