WR Sterling Shepard agrees to terms with Buccaneers, sources say

TAMPA, Florida — According to sources who spoke with ESPN on Thursday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and former New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard have reached an agreement on a one-year contract.

Through this move, Shepard will be reunited with former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield, with whom he connected for 11 touchdowns during his 2015 senior campaign. That year, one of the most notable plays between the two was a 5-yard touchdown against Tennessee with 40 seconds left to force overtime.

Shepard was a second-round draft choice in 2016 and spent eight seasons with the Giants, starting 74 games. Throughout his tenure with New York, he battled injury, rupturing his left ACL in 2022 and his left Achilles in 2021. Last season, Sterling made 15 appearances back, totaling 57 receiving yards and one touchdown.

His first three seasons with the Giants were his most fruitful. Shepard caught 683 receiving yards and eight touchdowns in his debut season of 2016. After that, he has two touchdowns and 731 receiving yards in 11 games in 2017. He recorded a career-high 872 receiving yards and four touchdowns in 2018.

Additionally, former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cody Thompson was signed by the Bucs. Thompson spent time with the Cincinnati Bengals and Kansas City Chiefs after joining the league as an undrafted free agent out of the University of Toledo in 2019.

NFL Network was the first to report on the signing.