There's still a chance.
Buccaneers update 464-pound Desmond Watson's playing status amid hopes for weight loss originally appeared on The Sporting News
The videos have begun to circulate a bit on social media.
They show Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie Desmond Watson watching practice at training camp but unable to participate. The defensive tackle, who was listed at 464 pounds coming out of Florida, is currently on the non-football illness list.
The Bucs placed him on that list earlier this summer due to his weight, head coach Todd Bowles said at the time.
This week, Buccaneers GM Jason Licht provided an update on Watson, who still isn't practicing.
“We have some milestones we want him to hit before we get him out there,” Licht told reporters. “He’s doing a solid job getting there. That’s all I’ll say.”
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That suggests the Bucs want Watson to keep dropping more weight, but that he has lost some of it already.
It's not exactly clear where they might want him to end up, but Watson still would likely measure as the heaviest player to ever appear in an NFL game if he were able to reach that milestone.
For the time being, all Watson can do is work on what Tampa Bay wants him to work on and hope that's enough.
As an undrafted rookie, his chances of making the opening day 53-man roster were slim to begin with. His goal probably always had to be the practice squad.
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The fact that the Buccaneers are bearing with Watson right now suggests they see legitimate upside as a unique player from him down the road, so that's likely a good sign for his chances of at least being on the practice squad.
And if Watson keeps putting in the work, he has a chance to make an impact on the defensive interior at some point in his future. For now, all he can do is keep working.
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