Buccaneers’ Desmond Watson — NFL’s heaviest player ever at over 430 pounds — wants to leave his mark

Desmond Watson wants to beryllium a batch much than a large footnote. 

The heaviest subordinate successful NFL history made his debut pinch nan Buccaneers this play astatine rookie minicamp and addressed his weight.

The 6-foot-6 Watson weighed successful astatine 464 pounds astatine Florida’s pro time earlier going undrafted and signing pinch nan Buccaneers.

He is said to person dropped 27 pounds since past — still mounting nan record.

Buccaneers chemoreceptor tackle Desmond Watson (56) runs a drill during nan NFL shot team’s rookie minicamp connected Friday, May 9, 2025, successful Tampa, Fla. AP

“I consciousness for illustration my sanction is etched successful history, of course, arsenic being nan charismatic heaviest subordinate successful nan NFL aliases whatnot,” Watson told reporters this week. “It’s a bully story, but astatine nan aforesaid clip I don’t want that to beryllium my narrative. I want to beryllium known arsenic a shot subordinate – and a bully shot subordinate astatine that.”

Known arsenic a run-stuffing protect tackle, Watson had 63 tackles and 1.5 sacks and 1 forced fumble successful 51 games complete 4 years astatine Florida.

He put up 36 reps connected nan 225-pound chair press, which was 3 much than immoderate of nan prospects invited to nan 2025 NFL Scouting Combine.

“He’s sewage to make nan squad first each of all,” caput coach Todd Bowles said of Watson’s role. “Right now, we conscionable sewage to spot really agelong he tin enactment connected nan section and put him connected a [conditioning] programme wherever we deliberation he tin make immoderate progress. I deliberation that’s nan biggest point for america to do correct now. We didn’t get him and say, ‘Hey, we’ve sewage to put you connected nan section correct now.’

Buccaneers chemoreceptor tackle Desmond Watson (56) useful against Dvon J-Thomas (78) during nan NFL shot team’s rookie minicamp connected Friday, May 9, 2025, AP

But Bowles made it clear that Watson is not a gimmick.

He reportedly signed a three-year statement pinch $50,000 guaranteed, including a $20,000 signing bonus.

“We didn’t get him for nan Tush Push,” Bowles said. “We sewage him because we really thought he could play. It’s conscionable a matter of getting up to a constituent wherever he tin play much than 2-3 plays a drive.”