Tight end Cade Otton is planning to re-sign with the Bucs per Ian Raporport of the NFL Network. The deal was negotiated by Otton’s agent, Collin Roberts of Excel Football. No details of the contract have been revealed just yet. This continues a four-year run with Otton on the Bucs, now going into his fifth year. Otton had been in a starting role since his arrival in Tampa.
Otton wasn’t the flashiest name in Tampa Bay’s offense, but his consistency had quietly made him one of the team’s more dependable pieces. Playing almost every snap on offense in each game, the Bucs have a trusted asset. And with that, Tampa Bay could use an feels fine paying him rather than see him hit the open market.
Bucs TE Cade Otton – Photo by: USA Today
Otton’s numbers don’t jump out compared to other tight ends. He’s never had more than 600 yards or four touchdowns in a season. The most recent year he had just one touchdown and it came in the season finale. But as far as consistency goes, Otton fits that bill.
Playing in 63 games with 58 starts, Otton made 207 catches for 2,018 yards and 11 touchdowns. His best year came in 2024 where he recorded 59 catches for 600 yards and four touchdowns. This also coincided with a stretch of games where the Bucs did not have receivers Mike Evans, Chris Godwin Jr. or Jalen McMillan available, putting Otton as the main target in the passing game.
The production in 2025 was similar from a yardage standpoint at 572, but that was with two more games played and his only touchdown came in the last game of the season. Otton is a solid blocker who can a good fourth option for a team. He can still add more to the position, though, making for an intriguing 2026 season. 
Bucs TE Cade Otton – Photo by: USA Today
What To Make Of The Bucs TE Room
Seeing Otton back on the roster gives the Bucs a similar room at tight end heading into free agency and the draft. Currently their tight ends on the roster are besides Otton are Payne Durham and Devin Culp, while Ko Kieft is also a pending free agent that could be re-signed.
Durham has predominantly been a blocking tight end as the second stringer. He caught one pass for four yards on the season, but does get a good amount of playing time when the Bucs are in 12 personnel. Culp has shown glimpses of potential over the the last two seasons. He has the most speed out of the tight ends and can line up out wide, but he doesn’t have the physicality of a capable enough blocker. Culp doesn’t see the field too much because of it, but he did score a touchdown last year.
Bucs TE Devin Culp – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR
Ko Kieft is another story in of itself. He missed pretty much all of last season with a broken leg. While listed as a tight end, Kieft is more of a fullback and they may have played a role on a down year running the football. If Kieft is back, it won’t be for the passing game.
The return of Otton keep consistency for the Bucs. Yes, Tampa Bay wants an upgrade over the production that Otton brought, but seeing the tight end group become a weakness was not in the plans either. The tight end room stays stabelized and it doesn’t rule out the Bucs drafting a tigh end either. We’ll continue to monitor how the Bucs go through the rest of these proceedings and find a way to continue building out their team.