TAMPA, Fla. — The Buccaneers continue to keep their in-house free agents in Tampa Bay.
This week, the team agreed to terms with kicker Chase McLaughlin, who quietly had one of the best seasons in franchise history.
McLaughlin, who hit 93.5% of his regular-season attempts—the best in club history—played on seven teams in his first five NFL seasons. Now, he has a three-year deal with the Bucs.
"Bouncing around so much really makes you appreciate it when you do get that multi-year deal," McLaughlin said via video chat. "But having it come from Tampa Bay and just such a great organization and city makes it even that much more special."
McLaughlin admitted he didn't realize he was having a record-breaking season until after the season was over.
"It’s really a testament to just staying true, staying, through all the ups and downs, level-headed and staying true to it all."
Bucs general manager Jason Licht put McLaughlin's name right next to quarterback Baker Mayfield, receiver Mike Evans and safety Antoine Winfield, Jr. as potential free agents he wanted to re-sign.
"It was definitely humbling to hear my name in the same sentence as some of my big-name, potential Hall of Famer teammates when [general manager Jason Licht] said it," McLaughlin laughed. "Seeing that we had something that worked and wanting to keep that going was really confidence-inspiring. Not only for myself, but for my teammates as well."
Licht did go outside the organization to sign former Bucs safety Jordan Whitehead. Tampa Bay drafted Whitehead in 2018, but he signed a free-agent deal with the New York Jets after the 2021 season. Whitehead, whose house is still in the Tampa Bay area, is grateful to be back home.
"It feels like I never left," Whitehead grinned. "They drafted me, so I’ll always have love being here. It’s exciting."
Whitehead is excited to reunite with former teammates and his former defensive coordinator-turned-head coach Todd Bowles.
"I got in his office, and we sat up there for an hour. The first 10 minutes you talk about football then after that you just talk about life. I can’t say [anything] wrong about Coach [Todd] Bowles. He’s been there for me ever since I came [into the league]. Him bringing me back here, that says enough right there, giving me an opportunity," Whitehead said.
