Buccaneers Cut Veteran Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have officially reached the 53-man roster limit.

Safety Ifeatu Melifonwu is the final player cut as Tampa Bay finalized its initial roster. Fox Sports’ Greg Auman reported the move.

“The last cut for the Bucs is releasing safety Ifeatu Melifonwu. They can bring him back on the practice squad, but now they’re at 53.”

Melifonwu’s Time in Tampa Bay Ends Quickly

The Buccaneers signed Melifonwu to a one-year contract in July. Despite that addition, the veteran safety could not secure a spot on the opening roster.

Melifonwu enjoyed the most productive season of his career in 2025. He recorded 53 tackles across 16 regular-season games with the Miami Dolphins.

Former Third-Round Pick Gets Released

Melifonwu entered the NFL as the 101st overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft. The Detroit Lions selected him in the third round.

Now, he becomes available for Tampa Bay to potentially bring back. As Auman noted, the Buccaneers can still sign Melifonwu to their practice squad.