A legal battle against the NCAA could see the standout rookie linebacker return to college, but a dominant preseason makes cutting him a difficult decision for Tampa.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers undrafted rookie linebacker Jack Pyburn is going to make a lot of headlines if he makes the 53-man roster.
He will make even more if he doesn't.
Pyburn, who, along with several other players currently on NFL rosters, is in the middle of an ongoing lawsuit against the NCAA to regain a year of collegiate eligibility. A court ruling awarded him a temporary restraining order, paving the way for him to return to college football despite having signed a professional contract with the Bucs.
The ongoing legal battle has drawn massive attention, as players who have signed NFL contracts returning to play college football would be unprecedented. While courts have ruled in favor of players who could potentially earn millions in NIL money by returning to college football, the NCAA vehemently opposes the possibility. Despite the court ruling, every major conference has voted to ban anyone who has signed contracts with an NFL team from returning, threatening severe penalties for any school that accepts a former professional.
Pyburn, who is looking to make the Bucs after finishing his college career at LSU last year, has said publicly that he intends to return to the collegiate ranks if he doesn't make Tampa's 53-man roster.
With that in mind, Pyburn's outstanding performance in the Bucs' 19-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the team's preseason finale is all the more newsworthy.
Pyburn's Incredible Preseason
Against Jacksonville, for the second time in three games, Pyburn recorded double-digit sacks, capping off an incredible preseason.
Pyburn was a beast for the Bucs Friday night in a game that had very few bright spots for Tampa. He finished the night with four total tackles, including three TFLs, two sacks, a pair of QB hits, and even a pass break-up.
The rookie has come out of nowhere to be one of the Bucs' most impressive players throughout the preseason. When training camp began, nobody could have predicted Pyburn playing his way onto the 53-man roster.
Practice squad? Sure. The Bucs guaranteed Pyburn $115,000 when they signed him, not a small amount of money for an UDFA. It was obvious Tampa liked Pyburn's potential and likely viewed him as a great prospect to develop on the PS.
With roster cuts finalized by 6:00 PM Sunday, Pyburn has made the Bucs' decision on what to do with him extremely difficult. Even with a loaded group of pass rushers like star rookie Rueben Bain Jr., YaYa Diaby, Al-Quadin Muhammad (who had 11 sacks last season), David Walker (who has been a monster throughout camp), and solid veteran Anthony Nelson, Pyburn has potentially made it impossible to keep him off the roster.
Pyburn's pair of multi-sack games show that he could potentially be a game-wrecker for the Bucs. Even though his amazing preseason numbers came against backups or guys who will be looking for work after this weekend, Pyburn's ability to rush the passer is an extremely valuable commodity. Do the Bucs really want to risk losing him to another team, whether NFL or NCAA, by placing him on waivers?
Final Thoughts
What Tampa decides to do with Pyburn will be one of the most noteworthy storylines in the football world this weekend. Whether he makes the team or not, Pyburn is going to be receiving a lot of attention over the next several days.
His performance against the Jaguars once again showed what he can do on an NFL field. Whether he continues his career in the NFL or in college will be one of the most fascinating stories the sport has seen in quite some time.
Pyburn has done everything possible to make the Bucs' roster. Whether he does or not will be closely monitored by every other NFL and college team in the country.
