The Buccaneers wasted no time working the waiver wire after final cuts, claiming cornerback Kevin Knowles off Kansas City's discard pile. It's a low-cost, high-floor add: a young defensive back who already has an NFL season under his belt, just not with this jersey.
New Bucs corner Kevin Knowles, claimed off waivers from the Chiefs today, played 231 snaps on special teams last year as a rookie, with 10 tackles. FSU grad is only 23 and will help on teams for Bucs.
Knowles signed with the Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of Florida State in 2025 and actually stuck, getting activated to Kansas City's roster in October and appearing in 13 games. Per multiple reports, he logged 82 defensive snaps but earned his keep almost entirely on special teams, where he racked up 231 snaps as a rookie -- the kind of unglamorous, coverage-unit workload that keeps young DBs employed while they develop.
The corner isn't a name Bucs fans know yet, but the math behind the move is simple. Tampa Bay needed a roster spot and found a 23-year-old who's already proven he can play meaningful special-teams snaps in the league -- cheaper and more finished than signing a street free agent off the couch. The corresponding move sent undrafted linebacker Caden Fordham out the door, a player buried on a depth chart that already runs Alex Anzalone, Josiah Trotter, Christian Rozeboom and SirVocea Dennis deep at inside linebacker.
Bucs claim CB Kevin Knowles off waivers. t.co/TgKZwkF2zV
For Kansas City, it's the churn that happens every year after the 53-man deadline -- Knowles made the initial roster but got squeezed when the Chiefs needed room for other waiver claims of their own. Losing a core special-teamer to a division-unrelated NFC team barely registers on a roster that's chasing another AFC title, but it's a reminder that fringe roster spots are the most volatile real estate in the league this week.
For Tampa Bay, Knowles slots in as depth and a special-teams body immediately, with a real shot to carve out a bigger defensive role if injuries or performance open the door. It's not a splash move, but it's exactly the kind of claim that quietly pads a roster's depth without costing anything but a waiver slot.