Greg Gaines unexpectedly stepped up for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Now a free agent, his future NFL destination remains uncertain.
Greg Gaines ended up becoming more important than the Tampa Bay Buccaneers expected him to be.
Because of an injury that forced defensive tackle Calijah Kancey to miss 14 of 17 games last season, Gaines took on increased playing time, starting the most games (four) since joining the Bucs in 2023.
Now, Gaines is a free agent again, his one-year deal from last March expired.
Gaines, who will be 30 in May, came to Tampa with several years of NFL experience. He’ll add to that experience in 2026, and it remains to be seen where he’ll do it.
Bucs Roundtable will take a look at where each of the Buccaneers' 2025 free agents stands going into this year's cycle.
Our series has featured offensive lineman Charlie Heck, linebackers Haason Reddick and Anthony Walker Jr., along with cornerback Kindle Vildor and punter Riley Dixon.
The series will also include players who were on the Bucs before 2025, who the team decided to re-sign, such as receiver Chris Godwin and the recently retired Lavonte David.
Before the Bucs
Gaines comes from the University of Washington, where he was teammates with another notable Bucs defensive lineman, Vita Vea. Gaines went to the Los Angeles Rams in the fourth round of the 2019 draft.
After playing sparingly early on -- 284 snaps over his first two seasons -- Gaines had his busiest season in 2021, playing 780 snaps. That season, the Rams won the Super Bowl over the Cincinnati Bengals. Gaines had three tackles in that game, and continued to play a big role for the Rams in 2022, with 731 snaps.
Gaines caught Tampa Bay general manager Jason Licht’s attention, and the Bucs inked him to a one-year, $3.5 million contract in March 2023.
Gaines played 473 snaps for the Bucs in 2023, and the team brought him back on another one-year deal after the season.
In 2024, he played 395 snaps, and once again, the team re-signed him.
Gaines saw a lot of playing time during Weeks 3-6 in 2025, averaging more than 31 snaps per game during that stretch.
He ended the year with 369 snaps, and now, the question is whether the Bucs will again retain him.
Gaines’ Future
Gaines’ market value, according to Spotrac, is a little more than $2 million for one year, which lines up with what he’s been getting from the Bucs in recent years.
ㅤ
Join our ROUNDTABLE community! It's free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!