Buccaneers Terminate Contract of 25-Year-Old Defender

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have terminated the contract of defensive back Marcus Banks after waiving him from injured reserve with an injury settlement.

The 25-year-old safety’s latest stint with the team ended during the 2026 training camp roster shuffle.

Banks, a Houston native born Oct. 8, 2000, originally signed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent out of Mississippi State following the 2024 NFL Draft.

The 6-foot, 190-pound defensive back spent most of his first two professional seasons on the practice squad. He appeared in three games during the 2025 season after being elevated for special-teams duty, logging 32 snaps with no recorded tackles or defensive statistics.

The latest move came after Banks was waived with an injury designation in mid-August. He had signed a reserve/futures contract in January 2026 after spending time on and off the roster.

The Buccaneers simultaneously signed safety Robert McDaniel and running back Barika Kpeenu while also waiving running back Kadarius Calloway with an injury designation. Banks later reverted to injured reserve before receiving the settlement that officially ended his contract.

Banks began his college career at Alabama from 2019 to 2021, appearing in games as a reserve defensive back and contributing on special teams during the Crimson Tide’s 2020 national championship season.

He transferred to Mississippi State for his final two years, where he developed into a more prominent contributor.

Across 48 college games, he recorded 73 tackles, five pass breakups, one interception, and a memorable 60-yard fumble return for a touchdown on the final play of the 2022 ReliaQuest Bowl. In 2023 he started all 12 games at safety and posted 51 tackles.

His NFL journey has been typical of many undrafted players: repeated practice-squad stints, injury setbacks, and limited opportunities to crack the active roster.

Banks showed versatility, working at both safety spots and nickel corner during his time in Tampa. The Buccaneers have added multiple defensive backs this offseason and camp as they evaluate depth behind their established starters.

With the injury settlement, Banks is now a free agent and can sign with another team once he recovers from the undisclosed injury. At 25, he still has time to find a more stable role, whether in Tampa Bay’s secondary or elsewhere in the league.

The Buccaneers, meanwhile, continue trimming their camp roster as they prepare for the 2026 season.