Nobody expected the Carolina Panthers to be tied for the NFC South lead with four games remaining. But that's precisely where head coach Dave Canales' squad finds itself coming off their bye week.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were thought to be coasting to yet another divisional crown. Carolina and the Atlanta Falcons were struggling to find their feet. The New Orleans Saints were as advertised, languishing among the bottom feeders with nowhere to go but up.
Then, everything changed. The Buccaneers started losing — a lot. The Panthers, although wildly inconsistent, began to generate some momentum. And now, it's all square with everything in front of them.
Carolina Panthers' surge leads Buccaneers into desperate Jason Pierre-Paul signing
Tampa Bay's loss to the Saints on home soil gave the Panthers another massive confidence boost. The Buccaneers are getting wide receiver Mike Evans and left tackle Tristan Wirfs back on Thursday Night Football, but they are running out of time.
And desperate times call for desperate measures.
According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Buccaneers signed edge rusher Jason Pierre-Paul to their practice squad. He was part of Tampa Bay's triumphant Super Bowl team in 2020 with Tom Brady under center, but he hasn't played a competitive NFL snap since 2023. The fire still burns bright, and Carolina's bitter division rival must think he's got something left to offer after a successful workout.
At the peak of Pierre-Paul's powers, they'd be right. The first-round pick out of South Florida has 94.5 career sacks. He's a three-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro on one occasion. He's also 37 in a few days and spent his final campaign on three different teams without recording a quarterback takedown.
If this is supposed to strike fear into the Panthers' impressive offensive line when they face the Buccaneers twice over the final three games, they've miscalculated.
Carolina's protection in front of quarterback Bryce Young is among the team's strengths, despite going through significant upheaval throughout the campaign. Pierre-Paul is just another obstacle to overcome, and Canales' unit has all the positivity in the business end of the campaign.
This might be a masterstroke from the Buccaneers. Pierre-Paul could be fresh enough to make a difference as a rotational piece. He could come up with a big play or two that turns the complexion of a game. But looking through NFL history at players who come back after years away, that seems highly unlikely.
What this does say is that Tampa Bay is feeling the heat. Moves like this don't happen otherwise.