Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard (17) looks on against the Atlanta Falcons during halftime Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Buccaneers Do Big Favor For Wideout Sterling Shepard

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By River Wells | Last updated Feb 22, 2026 8:00 AM ET

Wideout Sterling Shepard certainly wasn't the veteran presence that the Bucs expected to have a few years ago. But since he joined the team in 2024, he's been a big help in Tampa Bay, and the Bucs are making sure to reward him for his efforts.

Shepard came to the Bucs after a long stint with the New York Giants, coming to help former Oklahoma teammate Baker Mayfield play better ball with the Bucs. He hasn't been perfect, but there's a great argument that he's done just that in Tampa Bay — he's caught over 30 balls his last two seasons and averaged 10.4 and 9.5 yards per reception in 2024 and 2025, respectively, proving to be a veteran who can step up when injuries plague the receiving corps.

Tampa Bay recognized this, and they made sure he got paid in result.

Bucs pay Sterling Shepard's contract bonuses for 2025

Sterling Shepard didn't quite get his contract bonuses in 2025 — Jalen McMillan's return at the end of the season saw him inactive for four games, and as a result, he missed a 40-catch bonus with 39 grabs and a 400-yard bonus with just 371 on the year.

Despite that, though, the Bucs paid out both incentives, per FOX Sports' Greg Auman. Additionally, Shepard also ended up with an extra $250,000 on top of his $125,000 with those incentives.

Cool move by the Bucs -- receiver Sterling Shepard was inactive the last four games as other WRs got healthy, and finished one catch and 29 yards short of $125,000 incentives as a result. Team paid out both, and an additional $250k for $500k as a separate bonus.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) February 21, 2026

It's always nice to see a team pay out incentives when the player was so close to hitting them, and Shepard absolutely deserved the goodwill. Per Sumersports, Shepard had a perfect catch rate in two-minute drill situations last year and averaged 12.17 yards per target in that frame, helping Mayfield and the Bucs to numerous close victories in the final minutes at the beginning of the season.

Shepard is a free agent heading into 2026, so it's unknown if the Bucs will bring him back or not. That being said, they still took care of him for his efforts this year, so there's a chance he comes back to Tampa Bay to keep playing with his college teammate in Mayfield.