NY Giants fan favorite Sterling Shepard won't retire, signs with NFC South squad

He's not done making plays on the gridiron after all. Following his emotional goodbye this past winter from the NY Giants, the assumption was that wide receiver Sterling Shepard would hang up his cleats and call it a career. Not so fast.

According to NFL insister Mike Garafolo, Shepard has agreed to terms on a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Did anyone see this coming? Shepard has battled some serious injuries in recent seasons, but he's postponing retirement and the golf course to see if he can make a difference with the NFC South side.

Sterling Shepard has agreed to a one-year deal with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Shepard made a ton of noise early on in his Big Blue career, but injuries really caught up to him over the past three years. In 2021, Shepard tore his Achilles after appearing in seven games. Then in 2022, during a primetime showdown against Dallas, he fell victim to the MetLife Stadium turf and tore his ACL.

Last offseason, the assumption was that the Giants and Shepard would part ways, but general manager Joe Schoen ended up bringing him back on a one-year contract. Shepard appeared in 15 games in '23, with two starts.

He didn't make much of an impact, posting 10 receptions for 57 yards and one touchdown. Despite the down season for him, Shepard was showered with love in the Week 18 win over the Eagles, his last game in East Rutherford. In that contest, Shepard moved to No. 5 on NY's all-time receptions list.

People in New York and New Jersey are always going to have a ton of respect for Shepard, who quite literally gave everything he could while suiting up for the organization. Now, he'll look to end his career the right way with the Buccaneers, a team the Giants will host on Nov. 24 this fall. Despite him being on the other sideline, you better believe NY supporters will give him a warm welcome home.