Desmond Watson’s NFL dream with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was dashed before the start of the season. Now the heaviest player in league history is getting a new chance.

It was the story after the 2025 NFL Draft: The Tampa Bay Buccaneers signed Desmond Watson, the heaviest player in league history – the defensive tackle weighed an incredible 210 kilograms at the time.

However, his NFL dream was over for the time being in the summer. As a result of the roster cuts to 53 players, Watson was released. What made it particularly bitter was that the defender couldn’t even prove himself in training with the Buccaneers because his weight was getting in the way. The coaches therefore only allowed Watson to train individually during preseason.

After week three of the current season, however, there was positive news for the 22-year-old, as the Bucs added the former Florida Gators player to their practice squad.

According to ESPN, Watson had held workouts with the franchise last week and the team was impressed with his physical progress.

Desmond Watson: Bucs coach dispels tush push rumors

Head coach Todd Bowles denied that Watson was signed solely because Tampa Bay is facing the Philadelphia Eagles and their dreaded tush push this week.

“He’s been training well. But we would never bring him in just to stop a tush push. If we bring in a player to stop a play and then the tush push doesn’t happen, we’re wasting our time,“ explained head coach Todd Bowles. The Buccaneers believe in Watson’s potential: ”If we bring him in, we think he can play, not just because of Philadelphia.”

Nevertheless, Bowles put the brakes on the euphoria—at least for the time being: “It’s very unlikely that he would be ready to play after we bring him back, at least not for the game against Philadelphia.”

Desmond Watson: Battle against excess weight continues

The team had even put the big man on the “non-football illness list” during training camp because of his excess weight. He was supposed to focus solely on losing weight.

At the start of training camp, Bowles described the approach as follows: “It’s simply about making him a better, healthier player and getting him on the field.” However, the coach did not publicly disclose a specific target weight or deadline.

According to media reports, Watson reduced his weight to around 198 kilograms – but that wasn’t enough for the Bucs, which led to the temporary separation.

After his return, no exact weight is given for Watson, but ESPN describes the rookie as weighing at least 180 kilograms.

To put the weight into perspective, before Watson, the heaviest players ever drafted in NFL history were offensive linemen Trent Brown and Daniel Faalele, each weighing 172 kilograms.

In college with the Gators, the defensive tackle impressed despite, or perhaps because of, his weight: He didn’t miss a game in four years and racked up 63 tackles and 1.5 sacks. At Tampa Bay, Watson initially received a three-million-dollar contract after the draft, of which only $70,000 was guaranteed.