Bucs Lost Their Pitbull
September 25th, 2025
Bucs tight end Ko Kieft.
If Bucs fans ever crossed paths with reserve tight end Ko Kieft, they probably came away with the same impression most do:
Kieft is a super nice guy and always seems on Cloud 9 because he is in the NFL.
Apparently, Kieft is just the opposite on the field of play.
To hear Bucs coach Todd Bowles and Baker Mayfield talk of Kieft, he was like the team’s pitbull. Enforcer. A guy who thrived on drilling people and doing the dirty work. Almost like an NHL goon — but not dirty.
Bowles announced yesterday that Kieft broke his leg in the win over the Jets and is lost for the season.
“He was probably our toughest player [or] one of our toughest three players on the team because he was our tone-setter, offensively,” Bowles said. “He did a lot of things in the room from a blocking standpoint.”
Mayfield hinted the Bucs lost a little bit of their identity.
“Really, really stinks,” Mayfield said. Kieft is “a guy that [on] special teams, does a ton for us. A guy that does not get a lot of credit in that regard.
“Offensively, a tone setter, he is always the asshole. [He is] touching you until the whistle is blown and somebody is pulling you off.
“When you have a guy like that — and Cody [Mauch] was like that too for us — we want to have our identity as being smart and tough, but also physical ball. We lost two guys for the year that have done that for us.”
The awful thing for Kieft is that this was a contract year for him. Joe doesn’t know what his worth would be on the open market but some teams will pay a nice piece of change for a solid special teams player.
Maybe, in a selfish way, this allows the Bucs to keep Kieft at a team-friendly deal. Joe heard Kieft really likes the Tampa Bay region and really likes his teammates. At the end of the day however, money is money.
The Bucs have recently paid and will very soon have to pay some important players. So some guys whose contracts are up are either going to have to work for cheap or the Bucs will have to wave goodbye.
There’s only so much Team Glazer loot to go around.
Ko Kieft was injured a few plays before the blocked field goal.
His reaction says it all.
While not a receiving threat, he's a critical piece on special teams and in the running game. pic.twitter.com/5B0rUvsfAs
— Evan Closky (@ECloskyWTSP) September 23, 2025
September 25th, 2025 at 4:03 am
I like the guy, hope he gets healthy soon, but I’m sure there are other blocking TE’s out there.
September 25th, 2025 at 4:24 am
Ouch
September 25th, 2025 at 5:15 am
He broke his leg? He was in the game for the last play.
Wow tough is right……..broken leg and still in the game.
will miss seeing the “Kieft House of Pancakes” blocks.
Hope for a full recovery.
September 25th, 2025 at 5:36 am
Broken leg sounds bad, but it’s better than a knee, or ankle. Clean breaks heal well. Ko will be back at a modest price unless someone can step in. I think Payne would be that guy, but we’ll see. Not many fullbacks in the NFL anymore.
September 25th, 2025 at 6:28 am
Another brick in the wall gone. Sunday will probably be the day the dam finally breaks.
September 25th, 2025 at 6:33 am
It’s not so much “Team Glazer” loot that is the problem. It’s salary cap loot.
September 25th, 2025 at 6:36 am
Sucks for Ko….he’s definitely a glue guy!!! Tough sob, hope he’s back next year
September 25th, 2025 at 7:19 am
jeez, get well soon Ko!
September 25th, 2025 at 7:25 am
Imagine if he could catch too! He’s got like 7 months to work on his hands of stone
September 25th, 2025 at 7:34 am
Good thing it was just a broken bone.
He is most certainly a unsung hero!
September 25th, 2025 at 7:39 am
I’ve chatted with some fans that underestimate the dirty work Kieft put in. This guy makes the 53 man roster every year, and he doesn’t get targeted.
Q. JBF, is this guy terrible at catching passes at practice? Early in his career, he’d get maybe one or two targets a game…I don’t understand why they don’t draw up 1 play per game for him. Keeps the defenses a little more honest.
September 25th, 2025 at 7:53 am
I can’t imagine the pain Keift was in. Very tough dude. I fractured my knee back in the day. I actually passed out from the pain.
September 25th, 2025 at 7:53 am
now Bowles can rely on his “secret lover” Payne Durham
September 25th, 2025 at 8:10 am
A ginger Yukon Cornelius.
September 25th, 2025 at 8:42 am
Didn’t Canales target Ko like 3 times in his first game as O.C. ?
I don’t think he caught a single one and now he never gets targets.
September 25th, 2025 at 9:27 am
Crap. Ko Kieft is like Will Gholston. Quiet, valuable players who show up and work their tails off. This Buc Luck has really been ridiculous. Go Bucs, and tell Buc Luck to F off!!
September 25th, 2025 at 9:34 am
sucks for KK41….get well soon!!!
GO BUCS!!!!!
September 25th, 2025 at 10:00 am
T T
Yukon Cornelius WAS a ginger. 😛
September 25th, 2025 at 11:16 am
0 targets to TEs in Jets game. 3 targets to TEs in Texans game. 4 targets to TEs in Falcon game. 7 targets, 3 catches by the whole room. Griz offense not TE friendly. Get well soon Ko! We appreciate the dirty work.
September 25th, 2025 at 11:50 am
Best of luck to Ko Kieft moving forward. Looked it up — he played 29 of 210 offensive snaps in the 1st three games.
September 25th, 2025 at 3:09 pm
Not terrible (a lot better than what the draftniks thought when he came out of Minnesota) but not a large target like the rest of the Bucs tight ends and not sure Kieft is all that quick.
September 25th, 2025 at 10:23 pm
Giz needs to use his weapons and he is not. Tight ends need to show up .don’t go vanilla giz ! Going to have to get creative .
September 25th, 2025 at 11:28 pm
This is bad news for Magoo’s Mess (the new name for special teams).