The commencement of NFL training camp comes with a reminder that the NFL is a cruel business. Locker room leaders and fan favorites get cut every season. Just ask former New York Giant Sterling Shepard.
The longtime Giants wideout now finds himself fighting for a roster spot in a crowded receiver room in Tampa Bay– and might be the odd man out. He signed a one-year deal with the Buccaneers last June, but his time in the Sunshine State could come to an end after just one year.
At least he embarrassed the Eagles for what could be the last time.
The Bucs drafted Ohio State standout Emeka Egbuka in the first round of the 2025 draft, adding more youth and explosiveness to an already deep receiver group.
According to ESPN’s Mike Clay, the 32-year-old is sixth on the Bucs’ receiver depth chart, and could become a notable roster cut before Week 1.
I looked over all 32 projected 53-man rosters from our NFL Nation team. A few notable projected cuts:
— Mike Clay (@MikeClayNFL) July 24, 2025
CLE QB Kenny Pickett
NO QB Jake Haener
LAR QB Stetson Bennett
PHI QB D. Thompson-Robinson
PIT RB Cordarrelle Patterson
MIA RB Alex Mattison
HOU RB Dameon Pierce
GB RB Emanuel…
Sterling Shepard’s NFL career is hanging by a thread
The Oklahoma product has found himself behind a younger, cheaper, and more dynamic group, including Trey Palmer, Jalen McMillan, and potentially even Tez Johnson and Rakim Jarrett in the pass-catching hierarchy.
That’s not a comfortable position for an injury-prone pass-catcher without much special teams value. The cardinal issue with the two-time All-Big 12 receiver that plagued his Giants tenure still lingers: the last time he played a full season was back in 2018.
It's the whole reason Big Blue moved in another direction after the 2018 season to begin with.
Even if he finds a way to stand out in training camp, Baker Mayfield still needs to account for the usual suspects in Mike Evans and Chris Godwin- who remain entrenched atop Tampa Bay’s depth chart.
The Super Bowl-winning duo will dominate the target share for the Bucs alongside tight end Cade Otton, and running backs Bucky Irving and Rashaad White.
The 2016 second-round pick caught 32 passes for 364 yards and a score in his lone season outside of New York. Those are solid numbers for a player with his injury history, but still a far cry from the impact player Giants fans grew to love.
It’s a dramatic fall from grace for a player who once led the Giants in receptions and served as a face of the franchise during some turbulent years. Gritty, reliable, and universally respected, Shepard was a true leader in New York and a fan favorite for good reason.
If you told a Giants fan in 2016 that both Shepard and Odell Beckham Jr would be nearly out of the league, I don’t think they would believe you.
For Shepard, this camp may be his last chance to prove he still belongs in the league. But, if there’s one thing the Oklahoma City native has never lacked, it’s fight. He’s battled through injuries, quarterback changes, and the pressure of playing in one of the harshest media markets in sports.
Whatever the outcome, Shepard has already captured the hearts of fans of Big Blue everywhere, and his Giants legacy will remain untarnished.