Being on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defense this year probably hasn’t been a lot of fun at times.
The Buccaneers have been pilloried for being one of the NFL’s worst defenses all season and have dealt with multiple nagging injuries along the way — mostly in the secondary.
But the season isn’t over. And if Tampa Bay can recover and make the playoffs, you know how all of those struggles will be viewed? As progress.
Playing without their top 3 safeties in Week 15, the Buccaneers rode the hot hand on offense and a somehow stifling defense to a 40-17 road win over the Los Angeles Chargers — something ESPN’s Jenna Laine singled out as the singular “Surprising Performance” for Tampa Bay.
It was the fourth consecutive win for the Buccaneers, who improved to 8-6 and stayed in first place in the NFC South.
“Without their top three safeties in All-Pro Antoine Winfield Jr. (knee), Jordan Whitehead (pectoral) and Mike Edwards (hamstring strain), the Bucs’ defense orchestrated a second-half shutout,” Laine wrote on December 15. “Cornerback Jamel Dean, who recorded an interception, had a particularly strong day, surrendering just two catches on six targets. Lavonte David recorded 1.5 sacks, as did Logan Hall.”
Dean was inarguably the star of the game with his first interception in over 2 years — the 6-year veteran cornerback hadn’t picked off a pass since having 2 interceptions against the New Orleans Saints on September 18, 2022.
Dean Has Spent Entire Career With Buccaneers
Dean has been with the Buccaneers since they drafted him in the third round (No. 94 overall) of the 2019 NFL draft out of Auburn and was a key figure on the defense in the team’s run to winning Super Bowl LV following the 2020 season.
While Dean started 12 games and had 3 interceptions over his first 2 seasons —he had a career-high 62 tackles in 2020 and also became one of just 3 players in NFL history to return an interception for a touchdown against quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
Dean became a full-time starter in 2021 and signed a 4-year, $52 million contract extension in March 2023.
While the Buccaneers have struggled on defense in 2024 and are 29th in passing defense (247.7 yards), Dean has quietly had a solid season. Through 14 games, he has an overall PFF grade of 72.7, which ranks him 32nd among NFL cornerbacks. He also has 55 tackles, 1 forced fumble, 1 interception and 6 pass deflections.
Dean’s Contract Called Out Before Season
Not everyone was optimistic about Dean’s prospects headed into the season — Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon singled out Dean and his $52 million contract on his list of the most overpaid players in the NFL.
That came after a down year in 2023 for Dean, who suffered through his first NFL season without an interception and allowed a career-high 42 receptions on 61 targets, according to PFF’s advanced stats.
Dean also lost his running mate for the bulk of his career before the season, when the Buccaneers traded fellow cornerback Carlton Davis III to the Detroit Lions in March 2024.
“The five-year veteran was frequently burned in coverage in 2023,” Gagnon wrote on April 14, “and he isn’t much of a playmaker (two interceptions total in the last two seasons). He’s not living up to a four-year, $52 million contract.”
Dean’s contract included $24.5 million in guaranteed money and will pay him approximately $12.5 million in 2024.
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