Ko Kieft

Ko Kieft News

Buccaneers Re-Sign Ko Kieft for Tight End Depth

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht announced on Friday that the team agreed to an undisclosed one-year deal to bring tight end Ko Kieft (leg) back for the 2026 season. Kieft suffered a leg injury in Week 3 of last season and never played again. The 28-year-old former sixth-round selection by the Bucs out of Minnesota in 2022 has played for the team the last four years, catching only eight passes on 15 targets for 82 yards and two touchdowns. Both of his scores came in his first two years in the league. Kieft will return to Tampa for a fifth season, but he won't be anywhere on the fantasy football radar. He will most likely enter the 2026 regular season this fall as the TE3 behind both Cade Otton and Payne Durham. Kieft's best year was his rookie campaign in 2022, when he had seven catches for 80 yards and a touchdown. He hasn't caught a pass since 2023.

Mar 13, 2026 11:27 AM EST

Buccaneers Put Ko Kieft on Injured Reserve

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers placed tight end Ko Kieft (leg) on Injured Reserve on Tuesday with a leg injury, according to Greg Auman of FOX Sports. It's a key loss for the Bucs' special-teams unit, and Kieft will be forced to miss at least four games. The earliest that he'd be able to return would be in a Week 8 divisional matchup on the road against the New Orleans Saints. However, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times is reporting that Kieft's leg injury could keep him sidelined for the rest of the 2025 season. The 27-year-old tight end apparently injured his leg in the Week 3 win over the visiting New York Jets on Sunday. With Kieft now out for the foreseeable future, Devin Culp will jump up into the No. 3 spot on the team's TE depth chart behind Cade Otton and Payne Durham, heading into a Week 4 showdown against the 3-0 Philadelphia Eagles.

Sep 23, 2025 6:02 PM EST