The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are running it back with a guy who has been their leading tight end for the last four seasons.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are bringing back one of their more experienced skill-position players.
Tight end Cade Otton was a free agent after his rookie contract expired, and the Bucs brought him back on a three-year contract worth $30 million, $20 million of which will be guaranteed for the first two years of the deal.
NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero were the first to report the deal on Monday.
Otton came on the scene just as legendary tight end Rob Gronkowski was exiting the NFL. Otton quickly became the Bucs’ leading man.
As a rookie in 2022, the fourth-round pick out of Washington led all Bucs tight ends with 391 receiving yards. He repeated that feat in 2023 with 455 receiving yards, then, in 2024, had the best statistical season of his pro career, ending with 600 yards and four touchdowns on 59 receptions.
Otton regressed statistically this past season, ending with 572 yards and just one touchdown on the same 59 receptions.
Otton’s one touchdown came in an important situation, though.
With the season on the line in Week 18 against the Carolina Panthers, Otton’s 18-yard touchdown reception from Baker Mayfield launched the scoring, and Tampa held on for a 16-14 win.
Unfortunately for the Bucs, it ended up not mattering, since the Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints the next day, thus giving the Panthers the NFC South Championship on a tiebreaker.
This season, Otton will be working with his fourth offensive coordinator in as many seasons, with that being Zac Robinson, who had been with the Atlanta Falcons for the previous two seasons in the same role.
Motion is a focal point in Robinson’s scheme, and this will allow Otton to move around and find mismatches, which could lead to an increase in production.
The Falcons ran snap motion almost 61 percent of the time in 2025 per NextGen stats , leading the NFL.
In Robinson’s offense, Falcons’ tight end Kyle Pitts had a revitalized 2025, ending the season with 928 yards (up from 602 in 2024) and five touchdowns on a career-high 88 receptions.
Pitt’s was also an excellent pass blocker in Robinson’s scheme, ending the season with an 81.3 pass blocking grade, which was the highest of his career (his run blocking grade was much lower with 43).
Otton had a 71.3-percent pass-blocking grade last season and a 56.1-percent run-blocking grade.
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