What Fires Up Ko Kieft? A Pancake Block Or A Tackle?
March 19th, 2026
Ready to return.
Overlooked last week in the wave of roster moves by the Bucs was AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht brought back a glue guy, Ko Kieft.
While Kieft is listed as a tight end, he’s not much of a receiver. Doesn’t mean he can’t catch but he will never be confused with foot-rubbing Rob Gronkowski.
What Kieft brings to the table on offense is a gnarly attitude and a nose for blocking.
Kieft is also a valuable special teams guy. So earlier this week, making an in-studio appearance on the “Pat and Aaron Show” with co-hosts Pat Donovan and Aaron Jacobson heard on WDAE-AM 620/WDAE-FM 95.7, Kieft was asked what he treasures more, a nasty block that springs a runner for a big gain or rocking a return man on kickoff or punt return?
Kieft was torn.
“Oh, that’s tough,” Kieft said. He added he really joins driving a guy into the ground with a pancake block with the syrup being that the block leads to a nice gain.
But Kieft seemed to side with a big tackle on returns, and not for the obvious reason.
“Pancaking people is a great feeling,” Kieft said. “Both are pretty equal. But a hard tackle… is hard to beat.”
Kieft explained that when he blasts a return man, it causes a ripple effect. The defense comes flying on the field and is visibly hyped over the tackle, wanting to continue to dish out more punishment.
Kieft, who missed the final 14 games last year after breaking a leg, explained how football is so grueling physically. The only day a player feels good is the first day of training camp, he said, adding in the rst of the season players have almost a second job fighting through various ailments to play on Sundays.
“You are going to feel like garbage most of the year, just from practices and games,” Kieft said. “Once the games get rolling, you sort of get into a little bit of rhythm.
“But it is hard to just feel like you’re completely fine.”
Postseason shoulder surgery was a thing for Kieft after the 2023 season, even though he fought through the pain and only missed one game that season. Last year was the first time Kieft dealt with a major injury since at least high school.
March 19th, 2026 at 9:01 am
Yawn
March 19th, 2026 at 9:07 am
I’m confused about a post regarding a current player. What is this?
March 19th, 2026 at 9:22 am
The guy is a mauler and we certainly missed him in the run game. I’ve been to every open practice in training camp the last two years, Ko will catch good passes but struggles with tough catches.
March 19th, 2026 at 9:26 am
Ko Kieft = Tone Setter. Happy to have him back & healthy for 2026.
March 19th, 2026 at 9:31 am
“The only day a player feels good is the first day of training camp, he said, adding in the rst of the season players have almost a second job fighting through various ailments to play on Sundays.”
harkens back to:
“Are ya hurt, or are ya injured?”
March 19th, 2026 at 9:42 am
can he Rush the Passer too?
March 19th, 2026 at 9:46 am
licht resigned Ko and Otton…Culp and Durham are on the roster but folks want the TE from Oregon?…lol…
GO BUCS!!!!
March 19th, 2026 at 10:23 am
The secret weapon. All the difference we lost Mike but kept this guy. Yeehaw.
March 19th, 2026 at 10:38 am
Love Ko !!! Dude is the Lorenzo Neal of this team.
March 19th, 2026 at 10:47 am
Kieft the pancake block picker upper makes a run game better. Simple and true take. I look forward to a much improved run game this season or one that looks more like the 2024 season run game did
March 19th, 2026 at 11:16 am
813bucboi Says:
March 19th, 2026 at 9:46 am
licht resigned Ko and Otton…Culp and Durham are on the roster but folks want the TE from Oregon?…lol…
You must be delusional over the Buc kool-aid. Sidiq is better than all three put together! Just watch whoever gets him.
March 19th, 2026 at 11:59 am
Everybody is a gridiron hero til the season starts.
March 19th, 2026 at 1:00 pm
Bringing back Kieft allows us to run 3 TE formation and those awesome 96/97 F counter with an easy release counter runs Bucky does so effectively. As long as our offensive line is all healthy it’s going to be a FUN YEAR on offense!
March 19th, 2026 at 1:56 pm
KIEFT HOUSE OF PANCAKES!!!!!
March 19th, 2026 at 2:14 pm
Who gives a crap?
March 19th, 2026 at 3:43 pm
Can Kieft have the ball stuffed in his gut and propel himself 2 yards forward to get a first down? If so he could be the missing 1st down short yardage back we have missed since….. Lorenzo Neal and Mike Alstott days.
March 19th, 2026 at 7:16 pm
We need 52 more dudes like him
March 19th, 2026 at 9:37 pm
Ko was sorely missed last year, especially in the run game.
He’s got a gnarly attitude, and he’s good at what he’s used for on the offense and on special teams.
I’m glad we resigned him.
March 20th, 2026 at 12:39 am
Anyone who complains about too many Mike articles take note. This Ko Kieft piece has 18 posts. Mike articles get 100+.
More Mike articles, please. Thank you, Joe.
March 20th, 2026 at 12:58 am
3.28:
Martin Fennelly once told Joe, “You can’t write enough about the stars.” Notice that FOX or BSPN never deal with the Elijah Kleins of the world or some no-name practice squad dude from East Cornfield State?
There’s a reason for that.
And there’s a reason Joe’s traffic dwarfs the others.
Thank you 3.28.
March 20th, 2026 at 1:09 am
Yeah, no… I get it… I totally do. Of course, Mike articles are going to get much more attention from the masses. I just don’t see the point. He’s gone and not coming back. He didn’t want to be a buc anymore. So, why waste any more time or energy on someone who doesn’t want to be on the team?
I’m genuinely more interested on how we will move forward from here on out. So, personally, I just skip the Mike articles now. If the rest of the fan base wants to keep picking that scab, that’s their prerogative.
March 20th, 2026 at 1:56 am
I think he is like me when I played. He likes to hit people. That is why he should get some snaps at H-back I think. Too many light weight DE/Edge guys who would not like to tackle this dude.
Go Bucs!
March 20th, 2026 at 4:29 pm
My favorite player since Doug Williams left the Bucs, any reasonable, rational, objective fan knows exactly why. But it can’t be allowed to slip away like it’s all right.
It’s not all right. The stadium on Dale Mabry won’t have any Bucs fans in it for the home opener. Enjoy watching the Bucs have to run silent count on offense as because they can’t hear.
Good grief.