Jamel Dean Accepts Pay Cut, Now In Contract Year
September 8th, 2025
“I got the squeeze, Tweeze.”
Listeners to the Ira Kaufman Podcast heard Joe talk before training camp about how the Bucs, given their fortified cornerbacks stable and Jamel Dean’s reputation for being extraordinarily frugal, had a golden opportunity to squeeze Dean to accept a pay cut.
It seems that’s exactly what happened.
Per reliable OverTheCap.com, Dean is now being paid $4.25 million for the 2025 season via a new agreement signed in 2025. No longer does he have a deal for 2026, so Dean would be a free agent after this season. FOX Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote on X that he can confirm the information.
This represents nearly an $8 million pay cut for Dean in 2025.
Bravo to Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht, the renowned offensive line whisperer. He played his card and got a healthy Super Bowl cornerback, a legitimate NFL starter, to accept a relatively small sum for his experience and talent.
Joe wonders if this cap savings is at least part of the reason the Bucs drafted cornerbacks in Rounds 2 and 3 this year.
September 8th, 2025 at 5:32 pm
That creates more space to possibly trade for someone. Whether it’s because of injury or a game changer becomes available
September 8th, 2025 at 5:36 pm
dean cant be this nice of a guy , how dow does this benefit him? or do they pay him to do a no show like leonard and the clippers? sometime i feel like thats how they get mike and baker for so cheap
Dean could have been cut outright. He has no more guaranteed money. –Joe
September 8th, 2025 at 5:36 pm
Licht is just positioning the team to weather the storm of new contracts/extensions next year.
September 8th, 2025 at 5:38 pm
Wow, what a great bargain. No way he isn’t getting more than that if he was cut, so he must have wanted to stay.
September 8th, 2025 at 5:38 pm
I’m guessing if he’s betting on himself, this has the potential to benefit him in the long run as well? Since he can now sign a market high contract next year. Lose 8 mil now to gain 15+ mil a year next year. He’s still a great cover corner, and if he can stay relatively healthy he’ll make one more big cash grab next year somewhere.
September 8th, 2025 at 5:40 pm
My question is that does this mean Dean is already out in ‘26, or does it reset his ability to negotiate should we choose to bring him back if he plays well enough or both? Play well, we offer you what we want not what the market says you’re valued at? And if you play poorly it just makes it so we can not sign you w/o dead money?
Either way great deal for Licht AND Money Mike Greenberg, the assistant I feel makes our GMs life a little easier
September 8th, 2025 at 5:43 pm
It means that this is a prove it year for Dean, as it should be. Great job front office!
September 8th, 2025 at 5:46 pm
I assumed when I saw this that Dean himself wanted to be a free agent next year. No other reason for him to take a cut. Probably saw he was gonna be replaced soon. Anyways hopefully he will be motivated to show other teams what he’s got and plays hard
September 8th, 2025 at 5:52 pm
I think he knows this scheme doesn’t fit his skillset. Playing an off line read and react corner is not his strength. His eyes decieve him too often. But I think he is a solid man press corner, something we almost never do.
September 8th, 2025 at 5:59 pm
Godlovesbucs Says:
September 8th, 2025 at 5:52 pm
I think he knows this scheme doesn’t fit his skillset. Playing an off line read and react corner is not his strength. His eyes decieve him too often. But I think he is a solid man press corner, something we almost never do.
————
Yeah, he’s a much better man-to-man corner than a guy who sits back passively in zone like Bowles wants his defensive backs to do. I was really hoping this offseason, with all the talk, we’d see a more aggressive man-to-man defense, but nope, yesterday was the same trash we saw last year. But it worked for this week, so great. I do think the Bucs were getting more pressure with just 4 or 5 rushers than they were getting last year, so that’s where Riddick, and improvements with Yaya and Kancey, and an early season fresh Vita come into play.
But man, I was hoping we’d see a return to that Super Bowl winning defense, instead of this passive zone trash. This defense is why Carlton Davis got shipped out of town, because he dared to point out that him and Dean were drafted as press man-to-man corners, not passive zone corners, and after saying that, Dean was sent to Detroit for daring to speak out.
September 8th, 2025 at 6:00 pm
I think CD3 is getting $20 million or something from NE, Dean is at least as good as he. I guess we told him he’d be cut off he didn’t sign on the line
September 8th, 2025 at 6:03 pm
What was the alternative? Would they have cut him? What would he have been owed, in that case? He could have gotten a payout and signed for peanuts for Buffalo or KC or somewhere, maybe. It doesn’t make sense to me but I do not follow contract stuff.
I am glad he is here for this season. Morrison or a first rounder can replace him next year.
September 8th, 2025 at 6:07 pm
A cheap contract could be good trade bait, too. Maybe the Packers are having second thoughts on Micah due to the podcasts, lol.
September 8th, 2025 at 6:12 pm
He’ll be in the hot tub next Monday.
September 8th, 2025 at 6:24 pm
Watch how he walked off the field at the end of the game before the missed FG. He walks like an arthritic 70 year old man. I think his knees are being held together with spit and bailing wire at this point. We’d better hope that Morrison and Izien heal fast.
September 8th, 2025 at 6:31 pm
Between a rock and a hard place
Bird in the hand guaranteed parting gift
September 8th, 2025 at 6:37 pm
Rod Munch – it seemed to me that Bowles played much tighter to the line and more man coverage than last year – which I believe is due to non-injured NFL starting caliber players available on D.
September 8th, 2025 at 6:39 pm
Hey Joe!
Don’t just report what someone else said, especially when it is too good to be true! 😉
Read the actual data at OTC!!! 🙂
The new deal comes with a $750K per game bonus!
As I read that, if Dean is active for 16 games, he gets an extra $12M in bonuses.
If he is on the game day active roster for an entire 20 game Super Bowl run, he gets $15M in bonuses.
Brilliant work by the Bucs, Dean and his agent to find a win-win for everyone!
Not only does Dean have an additional financial incentive to stay healthy all season, he has a financial incentive to show the Bucs each game that it is worth an extra $750K to have him on the game day roster despite spending 2nd and 3rd round picks on CBs!
September 8th, 2025 at 6:40 pm
I won’t be surprise if he retires at the end of the season. Morrison will probably take over sometime this year.
September 8th, 2025 at 6:43 pm
I think Dean will be traded when Morrison is ready to go.
September 8th, 2025 at 6:47 pm
the end of the road for the brittle brothers has been coming for some time. nice to see the wash out almost completed. hopefully nepo back doesnt have something that makes him brittle and unable to play or practice. or read or watch tape. lol
September 8th, 2025 at 6:54 pm
Joe – please clarify: were you calling Jamel dean frugal or fragile? You wrote frugal but was that a typo? You made it seem like you know this guy is frugal before taking this pay cut
September 8th, 2025 at 6:54 pm
Joe … ‘Bravo to Buccaneers Ring of Honor general manager Jason Licht, the renowned offensive line whisperer. He played his card and got a healthy Super Bowl cornerback, a legitimate NFL starter, to accept a relatively small sum for his experience and talent.’
I can’t believe some of you people? If your bosses treated you like this AFTER signing a contract with you, you’d be screaming bloody murder.
And can’t believe folks applauding Licht for doing this. If you’re gonna trade someone or release them, do it preseason so the player still has a chance to get on with another team & at a fair price. If I’d been Jamel, I would’ve said ‘We’ve got a contract. If you want to release me, go ahead and release me. But I expect you to honor the contract that you signed.’
And Joe, to say that ‘Jamel Dean’s reputation for being extraordinarily frugal’ represented ‘a golden opportunity to squeeze Dean to accept a pay cut’ boggles my mind. Go for the pay cut or release him in the Spring, not once the season starts. This whole thing will come back to haunt us in future negotiations with other players.
September 8th, 2025 at 6:59 pm
74 Bucs Fan Says:
September 8th, 2025 at 6:37 pm
Rod Munch – it seemed to me that Bowles played much tighter to the line and more man coverage than last year – which I believe is due to non-injured NFL starting caliber players available on D.
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I don’t know about that, watching the game, just from the TV angle and live, it sure seemed like it was the same thing we saw last year, almost always in that soft zone. I certainly could be wrong, in particular trying to judge it from the TV angle, but I hope you’re right.
September 8th, 2025 at 7:15 pm
Hawk Says:
Licht is just positioning the team to weather the storm of extensions next year.
^^^^^^^^^
Goe, Zyon are done. LVD will retire. So, the only FA left are:
1. Evans. He won’t command top dollar.
2. Otton. He’s injured and mid. Not expensive.
3. Hall & White. Likely won’t be re-signed. If so, small contracts.
4. Reddick. TBD.
Although he’s under contract for $40M next year, I could see the Bucs re-signing Baker. If they don’t, Licht will have money to spend on FA!!!
September 8th, 2025 at 7:24 pm
Toop, if what you reported is true, it makes a lot more sense. Like rod stated above, he would definitely get paid more than this by whichever squad picks him up. Interesting situation.
September 8th, 2025 at 7:43 pm
Can Dean do Tv or radio?
September 8th, 2025 at 7:46 pm
Maybe we can be a little nicer to him as a fan base? When healthy he’s a good player!
September 8th, 2025 at 7:52 pm
Great deal for Dean and Bucs if that post of per game bonus is true. Hope so!
Rod – perhaps the number of blitzes would tell the tale of how the D was played. Just seemed to be lots of Bucs near the LOS more than usual. Could just be the pewter colored glasses.
September 8th, 2025 at 7:52 pm
@Rod
Watch the game again dude…. We used several schemes incl man in numerous spots.
Pretty sure man to man cost us on the Penix scrambles incl the TD and the long Bijon run but I haven’t re watched it and checked.
Again I’ll say a BIG reason we played so much cover 3 and other “soft zones” was because our safeties sucked so bad…not the CBs. Now we have healthy players to man up when needed
BUT man to man isn’t a FIX….too much will get your defense cooked by crossing routes, rub plays, and especially scrambles from mobile QBs. Watch almost any game league wide and you’ll see it – NOBODY plays man to man more than 50% of snaps – there’s a reason 32 NFL defensive coordinators DON’T do it more than they do.
September 8th, 2025 at 7:54 pm
toopanca – good find.
DR – I had the same reaction but then read toopanca’s explanation and seems there is upside for Dean and not just a foot in the arse from The Man
September 8th, 2025 at 7:57 pm
Cut already, dam!!!
September 8th, 2025 at 7:59 pm
I noticed somewhere between 1st and 2nd qtr. that Dean played BEHIND the line to make (~7 yards). Guy on his side gets quick pass and automatic 1st down. Someone (Dean or coach) needs to get blown up for this. Did not notice it again but may have happened again. Why is this play not on repeat here with the Joes as an example of what many, many fans on this site repeatedly scream about.
September 8th, 2025 at 7:59 pm
DR- I was thinking the same thing. I would have never taken a drastic cut in pay like that. Deans a better than average corner. It’s not his fault we don’t use him like he should be used.
September 8th, 2025 at 8:24 pm
BucsfaninOregon Says:
September 8th, 2025 at 7:59 pm
I noticed somewhere between 1st and 2nd qtr. that Dean played BEHIND the line to make (~7 yards). Guy on his side gets quick pass and automatic 1st down. Someone (Dean or coach) needs to get blown up for this.
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Do people seriously, still, in 2025, not understand that the players aren’t the ones choosing where to line up… If the coaches wanted him playing up closer, they’d tell him. But they’re not, because they’re the ones coaching him to play off the line. It’s not up to the player, and if the player was going against what they’re being coached, they’d be benched.
September 8th, 2025 at 8:26 pm
i think they played more press coverage yesterday and less zone and Dean had a better game than normal for him, he didn’t get beat on any bombs he made some good tackles blew an easy int… he’s serviceable and better than merriweather… will morrison ever be healthy? they need two more cbs next april
September 8th, 2025 at 9:17 pm
Former Bucs tackle Sucke making a big prime time appearance on MNF, getting beat and then holding.
September 8th, 2025 at 9:18 pm
Rod Munch Says:
“If the coaches wanted him playing up closer, they’d tell him….. It’s not up to the player”
Bowles was asked about big cushions by his outside CBs last year at a press conference – and coach said that the CBs DO have leeway/choice as to how far back they feel comfortable lining up. So you’re wrong…….
I’ve noticed at times that Zyon would be just a yard or two from his man – look over at Dean and he’s back 5-6 yards from the receiver on his side.
Dean has always preferred to give extra cushion than is appropriate it seems to me – even in ‘man’ coverage….. which is strange for a defender with his speed…..
September 8th, 2025 at 9:19 pm
I didn’t realize Sucke got the start, but watching the game, seeing JJ McCarthy getting sacked multiple times already and constantly running for his life, it all makes sense now.
September 8th, 2025 at 9:27 pm
My 60th is Friday, so I’m making a birthday wish: 14 wins and a Superbowl trip.
September 8th, 2025 at 9:29 pm
Buccaneer Bonzai Says:
September 8th, 2025 at 9:27 pm
My 60th is Friday, so I’m making a birthday wish: 14 wins and a Superbowl trip.
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What are you doing!?! Wish for more wishes first, then wish for what you want, and you get what you want PLUS extra wishes. Come on, at nearly 60 you should know that!
September 8th, 2025 at 10:03 pm
Sucke just gave up a sack to a guy called up from the practice squad, LOL!
September 8th, 2025 at 10:05 pm
Remember when Licht said he wanted to keep Sucke… LOL! No he didn’t, if he wanted to keep him he would have. We see again why Sucke is not here, he’s been awful tonight, which is exactly how he looked with the Bucs. Can’t believe the Vikings would start him with what is basically a rookie QB in his first start – I get they had injuries, but man, did you watch the tape last year?
September 8th, 2025 at 10:29 pm
The calls to cut Dean seem emotional and not of reason.
September 8th, 2025 at 10:32 pm
I love Dean a very simple, authentic native Centrsl Floridian who wants to stay with hiis hometown team. I’ve always liked him and hope he has a great year!
September 8th, 2025 at 10:37 pm
Why would Dean sacrifice $8 mill when he was probably gonna get cut anyhow?
I don’t get this at all? SHow me the numbers, please. The math isn’t mathing
September 8th, 2025 at 10:50 pm
Am I missing something/someone here? People are talking about cutting or trading Dean. Who is an already injury prone Morrison’s backup? We would be left way too thin at cornerback if Dean was cut loose this year.
September 8th, 2025 at 10:52 pm
Bucs4Ever Says:
September 8th, 2025 at 10:37 pm
Why would Dean sacrifice $8 mill when he was probably gonna get cut anyhow?
I don’t get this at all? SHow me the numbers, please. The math isn’t mathing
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If the Bucs cut him right now he’d have a hard time getting much more money since teams have already spent their cap space – so while I think he probably could get $5-6m elsewhere, does he want to deal with going to a new team, probably out of state where that extra money is lost to taxes?
It does seem pretty dirty though if the Bucs planned this out. Had the Bucs cut Dean before camp, he’d likely have gotten more like $7-8m, and before FA, more like $10m (although the Bucs didn’t know how the draft would turn out).
It’s a power move by the Bucs for sure, but also might be Dean wanting to stay at the same time.
September 8th, 2025 at 10:55 pm
Duh Bears. LOL!
September 8th, 2025 at 11:21 pm
I’m pretty sure Dean is going nowhere this year. We are trying to win a SB and need depth. You don’t just jettison starting caliber CBs. He is giving up money now to be a FA and get guaranteed money for the next couple years instead of being stuck in Tampa as a potential cut.
September 8th, 2025 at 11:27 pm
Saskbucs Says:
He is giving up money now to be a FA and get guaranteed money for the next couple years instead of being stuck in Tampa as a potential cut.
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Yeah, although it’s really unlikely the Bucs would have carried his cap hit into the offseason. I think it was a carrot and stick routine, being that they could cut him now, but who is going to give him much more at this time of the year, and he gets the benefit of being a FA before FA begins, meaning he can get a full value contract next time.
September 8th, 2025 at 11:33 pm
I wonder how many people went to sleep when it looked like the Bears would run away with it. Hilarious watching the Bears lose that game at home – still stinks the Vikings had to win though.
September 8th, 2025 at 11:37 pm
OR … With the new lower salary and incentives, he becomes easier to trade this year for I don’t know what/who. Again, though, this leaves you little to no depth at a position known for its injuries.
September 8th, 2025 at 11:41 pm
This doesn’t seem like the thread to say: “Good, Dean sucks,” does it.
Maybe just the percentage of fans who think Dean is good cornerback are posting, but it sure looked like there had been a clear consensus that a need for a cornerback to replace the absent Dean was a priority; and it was: Morrison and Parish.
And, now, the massive pay cut.
The only argument given for playing Dean at all has been: “Can’t have a player making that much money sit on the bench.”
My opinion of Dean is drawn from the fact that, when he starts in a game (the relatively few of which he’s available) and there’s a play to be made on “Dean’s side,” no Dean.
September 8th, 2025 at 11:48 pm
While it would make him more valuable for the Bucs as a trade chip, I can’t imagine a player taking a huge cut like that to help the team move him, and in fact I’d assume Dean’s camp demand a no trade, or limited trade, as part of any contract restructure. But who knows without seeing the deal.
September 8th, 2025 at 11:56 pm
After reading the breakdown on over the cap, this seems like a pretty shrewd arrangement by the Bucs.
They save 2+ Million in cap space this year, keep $7M in the bank and if Dean walks (which seems very likely)next year there’s no dead cap hit.
If I’m understanding it correctly increasing his per game bonus to 750k also serves to mitigate the chances of him getting a hangnail and sitting himself down to collect a check. Less play, less pay..
Greenberg is definitely the financial brains of this operation.
September 9th, 2025 at 12:50 am
Dean was SO SMOKED on that would be TD pass to Hodge late in the game. Should’ve been a TD had Hodge even half-ass known what the hell was going on and just opened HIS EYES. Dean was luckiern hail ther.
September 9th, 2025 at 1:11 am
UPON FURTHER REVIEW:
The initial reporting was incomplete and imprecise, and I misunderstood the information on OTC. Fortunately, SpoTrac has more details and better explanations.
Dean took a salary cut from $13.5 million this year to $6 million this year minus $44K for every game he misses. The $6 million includes a $1 million incentive for something which I have not yet identified; maybe for just signing the contract?
I think that undervalues Dean. I understand that he has had availability issues, and I can see that as a base contract. I do not understand why the only identified incentive is $750K per year ($44K per game).
In return, the Bucs voided Dean’s contract for next year and he becomes a free agent at the end of this season.
If Dean plays well this year, someone will pay him two or three or four times as much next year.
Presumably, the Bucs think that Morrison will be ready to start and that they will be saving $13.5 million next year.
The money the Bucs saved shipping Davis out of town did nothing to save them from an injury depleted defensive backfield last year. Hopefully, the Bucs don’t experience similar woes when they let Dean walk next year.
Because the Bucs immediately voided Dean’s contract for next year, the Bucs had to write off the remainder of Dean’s signing bonus against this year’s salary cap instead of counting half against this year’s cap and half against next year’s cap.
So, at the end of this season, Dean can retire or make a new start, and the Bucs will be completely free of salary cap obligations related to Dean’s contract.
This doesn’t seem like the behavior of a team players want to come be a part of. And, Bowles seems to be uncharacteristically hostile towards Dean. I have to wonder if the Bucs pushed too hard on this one.
September 9th, 2025 at 2:24 am
Smells like a trade possibilty honestly. I believe the other mega rookie DB is closer to playing than anyone thinks, and on the chance he’s a legit CB, Dean’s probably gone, I wouldn’t be shocked at all. One can hope, right?
September 9th, 2025 at 3:48 am
It just shifted the responsibility of Dean to actually play this year in order to get paid. He took a 50% pay cut to stay as a starter on a contender, and in exchange he will have the freedom next season to choose any team he wants, without the stigma of being cut after week 1 attached to him. Not a bad deal at all.
For the Bucs, this saves true Glazer loot of around $7M (not our concern as fans), this saves an additional $2M or so on the cap this year (cap fans will enjoy this), and most importantly, takes Dean’s dead signing bonus spreads of $2M/season for the next 3 years after this, true dead salary cap money, and applies it to this year while we have the space. This eliminates future dead cap relating to Dean after this season, and puts both sides on a true one to one exchange for this year.
That now future available cap money will almost certainly be spent on high priced FAs either next year or the year after as the team makes it’s final push for SB #3. The window is open from 2025-2028. After that, it wouldn’t surprise me at all to see not just our legends retire, but Licht/Bowles/Glazers retire as well and we’re staring at another true, full rebuild. I could even see Joe retiring after that window.
Enjoy these next few seasons Bucs fans, we’re witnessing the continuation of the golden era. I don’t want to think about what follows.
September 9th, 2025 at 4:23 am
This is great.
September 9th, 2025 at 5:47 am
I think the way Bowles uses his corners, they are also in place to make tackles.
Macallum had 7 solos with 1 pass defensed and Dean had 6 solos and 3 passes
defensed, frees up Winfield to make his signature plays. Tykee also seems to have fit in nicely. Here’s hoping we have also solved our second safety issue we have been plagued with for several years.