Nitty Gritty: Nassib was a late addition to the Buccaneers' roster before Week One after the Browns released him following training camp. The third-year player ended up starting nine games for the Buccaneers at defensive end and quickly solidified himself as the complement to defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul on the opposite side of the line. The two fed off each other, with Pierre-Paul gathering 12.5 sacks before the year was over, helped in part by pressure Nassib created from the opposite side.
Nassib himself had 6.5 sacks on the year, more than doubling his previous season-high of 3.0. The highlight of his year with the Bucs came in the form of his first multi-sack game against none other than his former team, the Cleveland Browns. Nassib got to quarterback Baker Mayfield twice in the game and recorded a pass defensed on top of that. Yes, as a defensive end, Nassib batted down a pass out in the flat, trying his luck at cornerback apparently. He also managed pressure on New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees in the Bucs' last matchup with the division rivals in Week 14, which isn't easily done. On the play, Brees stepped up into the pocket after some outside pressure from his left side from Pierre-Paul. While engaged with the tackle, Nassib reached an arm out and swatted the ball out, resulting in a strip sack and takeaway for the Bucs' defense. Nassib's pressure translated in the form of 14 quarterback hits, as well, and he tallied 29 combined tackles in 2018.
Highlight Reel:
Off the Field: Nassib was one Bucs player to participate in the NFL's My Cause, My Cleats campaign, wearing cleats for Penn State's THON program. The organization started at Penn State, which is where Nassib got involved, and raises tens of millions of dollars each year to go towards pediatric cancer.
