{"id":364238,"date":"2025-09-13T08:05:13","date_gmt":"2025-09-13T08:05:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/364238\/"},"modified":"2025-09-13T08:05:13","modified_gmt":"2025-09-13T08:05:13","slug":"bucs-cornerback-jamel-dean-takes-8-25-million-pay-cut-for-2025-season","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/364238\/","title":{"rendered":"Bucs cornerback Jamel Dean takes $8.25 million pay cut for 2025 season"},"content":{"rendered":"

Cornerback Jamel Dean<\/a> took an $8.25 million pay cut to stay with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the 2025 NFL season. Then he played 74 of the Bucs\u2019 76 defensive snaps in a season-opening 23-20 victory over the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.<\/p>\n

The former Auburn defensive back was supposed to make $12.5 million in 2025, the third season of a four-year, $52 million contract. But Tampa Bay did not want Dean at that price, and with no guaranteed money left in the deal, his choice was to become a free agent with one preseason game left<\/a> before the kickoff to the 2025 campaign or take a new deal. He\u2019s playing for $4.25 million in guaranteed salary<\/a> with another $750,000 available in playing-time incentives. <\/p>\n

\u201cIt was just more like I\u2019m comfortable here,\u201d Dean told the Tampa Bay Times<\/a> on Thursday. \u201cSo it\u2019s just really not about the money anymore. I\u2019m not in the mood to try to figure out a whole new team and city and go through all I went through my rookie year. So just to save me a headache.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dean\u2019s new agreement also allows him to become an unrestricted free agent after this season instead of having to wait until 2027 under his old four-year contract.<\/p>\n

Dean started his eighth season with Tampa Bay in Sunday\u2019s victory. He made six tackles and broke up three passes. He was targeted eight times by Falcons quarterback Michael Penix Jr. and allowed four completions for 27 yards<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But in a game that featured an Atlanta touchdown to take the lead with 2:17 to play and a Tampa Bay TD to take it back with 59 seconds remaining, nervous Bucs fans may remember Dean\u2019s 15-yard facemask penalty that negated a 14-yard loss on a sack, a dropped interception and his stumble that almost cost the victory.<\/p>\n

Covering wide receiver Casey Washington on a first-and-10 snap from the Tampa Bay 26-yard line, Dean fell down. But safety Antoine Winfield Jr. raced over and broke up the pass just steps from the goal line with 11 seconds left in the game.<\/p>\n

\u201cI thought from a man-to-man standpoint, it was some of the best press technique he\u2019s had since he\u2019s been here,\u201d Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles said<\/a> about Dean\u2019s Sunday performance. \u201cZone standpoint, two plays you want to have back. They were minor plays, but you still want to have him back. But I thought he competed at a very high level.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bowles said the pay reduction had not affected Dean\u2019s attitude.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s been businesslike since he\u2019s been here,\u201d Bowles said<\/a> on Thursday. \u201cHe\u2019s been healthy. He\u2019s been helping the young guys come along, so he\u2019s been great.\u201d<\/p>\n

Healthy could be a key for Dean as he navigates what is now a contract season.<\/p>\n

FOR MORE OF AL.COM\u2019S COVERAGE OF THE NFL, GO TO OUR NFL PAGE<\/a><\/p>\n

When Tampa Bay signed him to a four-year, $52 million contract extension<\/a> in 2023 rather than allowing him to become a free agent, Dean had limited opposing quarterbacks to a 73.6 passing-efficiency rating when throwing against him in 57 NFL regular-season games. Dean also had played in seven playoff games and started all four postseason games as Tampa Bay capped the 2020 season with a 31-9 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV.<\/p>\n

In his first four seasons, Dean had seven interceptions and 41 passes defended. But in the two seasons after signing the contract extension, Dean had one interception and 11 passes defended, the passing-efficiency rating when throwing against him rose to 100.27 and he missed nine games.<\/p>\n

Tampa Bay\u2019s first response was to use a second-round pick on Notre Dame cornerback Benjamin Morrison and a third-round pick on Kansas State cornerback Jacob Parrish in the NFL Draft on April 25. <\/p>\n

Parrish worked as the Bucs\u2019 slot corner in the season-opening game. Morrison spent much of training camp and the preseason out of action because of a quadriceps injury.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf he catches the balls that he drops, we wouldn\u2019t even be talking about this,\u201d Tampa Bay cornerbacks coach Kevin Ross said<\/a> in May about Dean\u2019s future with the team after the draft. \u201cHe\u2019s got to catch the ball, he\u2019s got to stay healthy, and he\u2019ll be fine.\u201d <\/p>\n

Injuries before he even reached the NFL have made Dean\u2019s career an improbable one. <\/p>\n

Dean tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in high school. He returned for his senior season but tore the meniscus in his right knee in his final prep game. After Dean enrolled at Ohio State, the Buckeyes\u2019 medical staff examined his knee and decided he wouldn\u2019t be cleared to play football.<\/p>\n

Dr. James Andrews determined Dean could return to the field with proper rehabilitation, but Ohio State stood by its decision.<\/p>\n

Dean transferred to Auburn. After sitting out a season as a transfer, another knee injury sidelined him for another year.<\/p>\n

Dean started at cornerback for Auburn in the 2017 and 2018 seasons. Tampa Bay selected him in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft after he ran a 4.30-second 40-yard dash<\/a> at the NFL Scouting Combine, and he\u2019s now one of the 13 defensive backs that has started at least 60 games for the franchise.<\/p>\n

The Buccaneers play their second game of the 2025 season at 6 p.m. CDT Monday, when Tampa Bay takes on the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium in Houston. ABC and ESPN will televise the game.<\/p>\n

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