Buccaneers Exercise DL Calijah Kancey’s Fifth-Year Option

Calijah Kancey missed most of last season, clouding his fifth-year option call. But the 2023 first-round pick’s lengthy injury-driven absence also reduced his option price, creating an interesting decision for the Buccaneers.

The team will bet on the Pittsburgh alum, announcing Monday it will exercise Kancey’s option. This tracks to bring a $14.48MM guarantee for the 2027 season. Kancey, who missed two games as a rookie and five in 2024, has not been especially reliable in Tampa. But he has impressed when on the field. The Bucs will hope for better health moving forward.

That 2024 12-game season brought 7.5 sacks and 11 tackles for loss; Kancey’s rookie year featured four sacks and 10 TFLs. The Bucs, who lost 2022 second-round pick Logan Hall to the Texans in free agency, still have plenty of Kancey stock. While the team did re-sign Rakeem Nunez-Roches and add A’Shawn Robinson in free agency, Kancey still profiles as Vita Vea‘s top sidekick on this defensive line.

Had Kancey played 50% of the Bucs’ defensive snaps in each of his three seasons, he would have been eligible for the second tier on the option ladder. For defensive ends (where Kancey is technically classified in Todd Bowles‘ 3-4 scheme), that number checks in at $15.94MM.

If Kancey were to be labeled a D-tackle, his option number would come in at $13.93MM. Teams have used players’ base-set responsibilities against them in option cases in the past, with 3-4 edge rushers labeled true linebackers (which formerly carried lower option prices) ahead of disputes. Although OverTheCap lists this option at $14.48MM, it will be interesting to see if the Bucs end up classifying Kancey as a DT for option purposes. The team’s website labeled him a D-lineman in announcing his option had been picked up, adding some ambiguity here.

Kancey, 25, has played only 101 snaps as an outside rusher (per Pro Football Focus) as a pro. Considering the lower option price for DTs, it would not be surprising to see the Bucs classify him at that position and lock in a sub-$14MM 2027 guarantee. After all, Kancey will be — if he bounces back in 2026 — negotiating an extension while using D-tackle comps rather than those potential negotiations seeing any EDGE players’ salaries come into play.

The Bucs had not previously exercised a fifth-year option since picking up Tristan Wirfs‘ in 2023. That was a remarkably easy decision. The team declined Joe Tryon-Shoyinka‘s in 2024 and did not have an option call in 2025, with Hall arriving via the first pick of the 2022 second round.

In our Buccaneers Offseason Outlook offering, I viewed Kancey’s work before his September 2025 pectoral tear as sufficient to buy him an extra year with the franchise. The 2025 season stalled the former No. 19 overall pick’s development, but the Bucs have seen plenty from the inside rusher to use the option as an extended evaluation tool.

Kancey went down in Week 2 of last year, undergoing surgery. We have seen in recent years that September pectoral tears can offer hope for a late-season return, and rumblings Kancey could come back by the playoffs emerged. The Bucs’ season ultimately did not extend to the playoffs for the first time since 2019, but the team activated Kancey from IR ahead of the team’s pivotal Week 18 matchup with the Panthers. Kancey will attempt to continue that momentum into 2026, when he will be viewed as a starter once again.