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Jenna Laine, ESPN Staff Writer
TAMPA, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have agreed to terms with former New York Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard on a one-year deal, sources told ESPN on Thursday.
The move reunites Shepard with former Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield, with whom he connected on 11 touchdowns throughout Shepard’s senior season in 2015. One of the most memorable moments between the pair that year was a 5-yard touchdown with 40 seconds remaining to force overtime against Tennessee, and then the game-winning 18-yard touchdown pass in double overtime.
A second-round draft pick in 2016, Shepard started 74 games in eight seasons with the Giants. He struggled with injuries throughout his time with New York, tearing his left Achilles in 2021 and left ACL in 2022. Sterling returned for 15 games last year, managing 57 receiving yards and a touchdown.
His most productive seasons with the Giants came in his first three years. As a rookie in 2016, Shepard caught 683 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. Then, in 11 games in 2017, he recorded 731 receiving yards and two touchdowns. In 2018, he had a career-best 872 receiving yards with four touchdowns.
The Bucs also signed former Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Cody Thompson. Thompson originally entered the league in 2019 as an undrafted free agent from the University of Toledo, spending time with the Kansas City Chiefs and Cincinnati Bengals.
The signing was first reported by NFL Network.
