The Tampa Bay Buccaneers watched their running backs room essentially disintegrate in 2025 after an unexpected rise to the top of the NFL in 2024, and the tinkering with the position group continues through the final week of the regular season.
The Buccaneers released running back Michael Wiley on Tuesday, December 30, after they signed him to the practice squad on October 14.
“Buccaneers release Michael Wiley,” NFL reporter Aaron Wilson wrote on his X account.
The Buccaneers close the regular season against the Carolina Panthers in Week 18 and can win the NFC South Division title for the fourth consecutive season with a win over the Panthers combined with a win by the New Orleans Saints over the Atlanta Falcons.
The Buccaneers are 7-9 overall headed into the regular season finale and have lost 7 of their last 8 games.
Wiley Starred in Pac-12 for Wildcats
Wiley, 5-foot-10 and 209 pounds, scored 28 career touchdowns at the University of Arizona that was split pretty evenly between rushing (16) and receiving (12) along with racking up 2,862 yards of total offense.
In college, he was probably best known for his performance in a win over rival Arizona State in the 2022 regular season finale in which he rushed for 214 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Wiley ran the 40 yard dash in a less-than-ideal 4.51 seconds at the NFL scouting combine and went undrafted in 2024. He spent his rookie season on the practice squad for the Washington Commanders and was one of the final cuts for the Kansas City Chiefs this preseason.
“Wiley has good size and can finish with some thump, but he’s missing key elements to be a successful NFL runner,” NFL draft analyst Lance Zierlein wrote in his 2024 pre-draft evaluation. ” … Wiley has some third-down potential but will need to prove he can play faster and with better vision to stay ahead of NFL defenses.”
Second RB Released by Buccaneers This Week
Wiley was the second running back to get his walking papers from the Buccaneers over the last week, with Josh Williams cut on Monday, December 29.
Williams was released just days after finishing a 6-game NFL suspension for violating the league’s drug policy.
“The Buccaneers have waived rookie RB Josh Williams,” Buccaneers.com’s Scott Smith wrote on X. “Williams returned to practice last week following an NFL suspension and the Bucs had until Monday to either activate him to the 53-man roster or waive him.”
The NFL announced it was suspending Williams for using PEDS on November 11, which meant he wasn’t eligible to play again until Week 17 — what turned out to b a 20-17 road loss to the Miami Dolphins.
“Bucs RB Josh Williams has been suspended six games without pay for violating the NFL’s Performance-Enhancing Substances Policy, the league announced,” Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud wrote on his official X account.
“Bucs rookie running back Josh WIlliams has been suspended for six games without pay for violating the NFL’s Performance-Enhancing Substances Policy,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote on his official X account. “He has played in three games this season, with four carries for 11 yards.”
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Buccaneers Part Ways With 28-TD RB Ahead of Panthers Game appeared first on Heavy Sports.