Deven Thompkins

Limited to return duty in loss

Published: 2023-01-17

Thompkins returned three kickoffs for 58 yards, ran back three punts for 34 yards and committed a fumble recovered by Tampa Bay in the Buccaneers' 31-14 wild-card loss to the Cowboys on Monday night. He finished the regular season with five receptions (10 targets) for 32 yards, two rushes for 26 yards, 263 kick-return yards and 61 punt-return yards across five games.

The undrafted rookie didn't garner active status until Week 14 against the 49ers, and he had his busiest day by far in the Week 18 regular-season finale versus the Falcons when he brought in four of nine targets for 25 yards, rushed once for 17 yards and generated 36 total return yards. Thompkins was notably kept in the organizational ranks over 2021 fourth-round pick Jaelon Darden, who was released after the Week 13 win over the Saints, and he could therefore have a legitimate chance to compete for a spot on the latter portion of the wide receiver depth chart in training camp with Julio Jones, Scotty Miller and Breshad Perriman all unlikely to return.