It was an eventful 2017 NFL season for Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety T.J. Ward. He joined the Bucs after being waived by the Denver Broncos late last offseason for salary cap purposes.

However, it was not long before Ward became upset with his lack of role within the defense. As a result, his brief stint in Tampa Bay has likely come to an end, according to NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport:

One player to watch in free agency: Multi-year Pro Bowl S TJ Ward. Played limited snaps for the Bucs after he arrived late from Denver, and he’s moving on from TB. The position is not deep in FA, and he'll have a strong market

Ward enjoyed a stellar tenure in Denver as a three-time Pro Bowler and Super Bowl 50 champ. Unfortunately, he was unable to translate that success with the Bucs due to his lack of playing time. That said, it is clear that the late start with the Bucs had some effect on his performance. Ward endured the worst season of his eight-year career thus far. He registered just 43 tackles and three pass deflections in 12 games this season.

Regardless, his prospects are looking strong going into the offseason thanks to a lack of depth at the safety position. Ward's resume and championship pedigree should garner plenty of attention from teams that are thin in the secondary. At this point in his career, it is likely that he will be looking to contribute immediately to a team with playoff contentions.