The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have decided to shorten their professional relationship with one of their best defenders last year in Jason Pierre-Paul. The reworked contract also helped them save cap space.
Field Yates confirmed that the defensive end will now be under contract until the end of the season as he recovers from his neck injury.
The Bucs and DE Jason Pierre-Paul have agreed to a reworked contract that now expires after this season, per source. The Bucs cleared $4.4M in cap space, while JPP gets $10M+ in pay plus a path to FA in March. A compromise for both sides as JPP continues to rehab his neck.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) September 25, 2019
The negotiation ensures that the Bucs will have cap space to sign the defender they need for their team. Since they don't have Pierre-Paul on their team, the team will be able to do signings on positions of need.
Pierre-Paul is a major loss for the Buccaneers defense. He notched 58 tackles and 12.5 sacks in his 16 starts last year. His absence has affected the defense's ability to disrupt the quarterback.
However, there are more issues with the team other than the 29-year-old's absence. One of the team's biggest issues is their inability to convert touchdowns, as reported by Scott Smith:
Overall, the Buccaneers rank 31st in the NFL with a red zone touchdown efficiency of 27.3%. They were one for two in Carolina, which left them barely clinging to a shaky six-point lead at the end, and they were one for four against San Francisco in the opener.
The question now lies as to whether the Bucs manage to find a quality player on time. They could also decide to do away with the season and rebuild for next year.
Whatever path they decide on, it's good that both parties were able to settle their dues. Moreover, Pierre-Paul will be able to focus on his recovery.
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