Desmond Watson, who made history as the heaviest player in NFL history, has been waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Watson was officially waived by the team on August 25 after reported concerns about his ability to lose weight and practice as a member of the squad.
Watson, a 6'6" defensive tackle—played his college years at Florida but went undrafted in this year's NFL draft. He was later signed by Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent.
Watson played his college years weighing in at 464 pounds, and dropped some weight after joining the Buccaneers—weighing in at a reported 449 pounds.
However, his weight loss was not enough to actually get a chance to practice with the team and prove himself on the field—the Buccaneers placed him on the non-football injury (NFI) list due to concerns over his weight and physical conditioning.
During training camp, Tampa Bay coach Todd Bowles said of Watson, "It's just about trying to get him better, to be a healthier player and getting him on the field a little more."
The decision to waive Watson comes just one day after the team made the decision to waive Deion Sander's son Shiloh. During a preseason game over the weekend, Sanders became involved in a scuffle with Zach Davidson of the Buffalo Bills.
Sanders eventually threw a punch, striking Davidson in the head and immediately drawing a penalty. He was then ejected from the game.
After the matchup, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles expressed his frustrations with Sanders—telling reporters, "You can’t throw punches in this league. It’s inexcusable. They’re gonna get you every time. You gotta grow from that.”
Sanders was also signed as an undrafted free agent by Tampa Bay, his brother Shedeur Sanders was drafted in the fifth round by the Cleveland Browns in the same draft.
It remains to be seen if Sanders or Watson get signed by any other NFL team.