The Tampa Bay Buccaneers officially picked up Calijah Kancey’s fifth-year option, keeping the former first-round defensive tackle under contract through the 2027 season. It’s an important move for a defense that continues to build around speed and disruption up front.
When Kancey has been on the field, he’s delivered exactly what the Bucs drafted him for: to wreak havoc. His first-step explosiveness and ability to shoot gaps have consistently put stress on opposing offensive lines, giving Tampa Bay a disruptive presence on the inside, something that’s become a priority in Todd Bowles’ scheme. However, Kancey hasn’t put together a full season yet, dealing with injuries along the way. First, two calf injuries, and now, most notably, he returned late last season from a torn pec and somehow didn’t just ease back in. He immediately looked like the best player on the field for the Buccaneers defense.
That’s what made picking up the 5th year option a no-brainer. Because when Kancey is right, he’s a difference maker.
He collapses pockets, speeds up quarterbacks, and creates opportunities for everyone else around him. His quickness and leverage give guards real problems, and in a defense built on pressure and chaos, that kind of interior presence is invaluable. By exercising the fifth-year option now, the Bucs keep a key piece of their defensive core in place while giving themselves time to potentially work out a long-term extension. The move reflects belief. Not just in what Kancey has already shown but in what he can become if he puts it all together over a full season.
If that late-season version of Kancey is any indication, the Buccaneers are betting on a player who can be one of the most disruptive interior defenders in the league.
This article originally appeared on Bucs Wire: Calijah Kancey has something to prove after 5th-year option picked up
Reporting by Ashlie Abrahams, Buccaneers Wire / Bucs Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
