On Thursday, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers released veteran kicker Ryan Succop, who had a perfect postseason run in 2020 and set several franchise records over his three seasons with the team. The Buccaneers have released a handful of accomplished veterans in the process of becoming salary-cap compliant for the 2023 league year.
Succop joined the Buccaneers in September of 2020, just 12 days before the start of the regular season and just three days before the final roster cuts. He subsequently beat out second-year kicker Matt Gay, who had a shaky finish to his rookie campaign, to provide steady marksmanship to a team that had added Tom Brady and had championship aspirations.
Succop gave the Buccaneers exactly what they were hoping for in 2020, making 28 of his 31 field goal attempts (90.3%), including all 20 from inside 40 yards. He set a franchise single-season record with 136 points scored. In the postseason, he was perfect on nine field goal tries and made 12 of 13 extra points as the Bucs won four straight games, including Super Bowl LV.
The following season, Succop went 25 of 30 on field goals and 56 of 59 on extra points for a total of 131 points scored, second in team annals only to his own mark in 2020. Last season, Succop compiled an 81.6% field goal rate (31 of 38), his lowest mark since 2011 except for a brief injury-plagued campaign with Tennessee in 2019. He was also just two of seven from 50 yards and beyond.
In all, Succop connected on 84 of his 99 field goal tries and 132 of his 141 extra point attempts. His field goal success rate of 84.8% with the Buccaneers is the best for any kicker in franchise history.
Following the release of Succop, the Buccaneers have one kicker on their 2023 roster after adding first-year man Jake Verity as a reserve/futures signing in January.
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