A day after their big comeback win over the Saints, the Bucs made somewhat of a surprising move in cutting punt returner/wide receiver Jaelon Darden.
Darden, a 2021 fourth-round pick, has been Tampa Bay’s primary punt return man over the last season and a half. This year, he has returned 31 punts for 330 yards, posting a 10.6 average.
“It’s tough any time you release somebody. He’s a talented player,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday. “We thought we’d do what was best for the team at that point in time. Hopefully he catches on somewhere else.
“He did nothing wrong physically. It wasn’t because he did anything. It’s just us moving forward. He hadn’t played offense in a while and we had returners and some guys that did a few more things.”
Bowles said the team will try different players this week to fill Darden’s vacated special teams role. Scotty Miller and Giovani Bernard will be in the mix, among others.
“We’re auditioning guys now like we have been, whether it’s Gio, whether it’s Scotty, whether it’s somebody else,” Bowles said.
The decision on Darden’s replacement will be made by the end of the week before the Bucs travel west to face the 49ers.
Miller and Bernard took punt return reps back in training camp before Darden, the incumbent, won the job. Bernard has very minimal in-game experience returning punts during his career, while Miller has zero regular season experience. Undrafted free agent Deven Thompkins, who is currently on the Bucs’ practice squad, could be another option the team looks to explore.
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