Buccaneers Signed OLB Benton Whitley To Practice Squad

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced they have signed OLB Benton Whitley to the practice squad. 

He takes the place of DT Desmond Watson who was released. 

Tampa Bay’s practice squad now includes: 

1. QB Connor Bazelak
2. DT Adam Gotsis
3. WR Garrett Greene
4. DB Bryce Hall
5. WR Dennis Houston
6. NT Nash Hutmacher
7. LB Nick Jackson
8. T Tyler McLellan (Injured)
9. T Lorenz Metz (International)
10. C Ben Scott
11. TE Tanner Taula
12. DL Jayson Jones (Injured)
13. OLB Mohammed Kamara
14. DB Damarion Williams
15. RB Owen Wright
16. RB Michael Wiley
17. WR Brandon Johnson
    
18. OL Karsen Barnhart
19. OLB Benton Whitley

Whitley, 26, wound up going undrafted out of Holy Cross following the 2022 NFL Draft. He later signed on with the Rams as an undrafted free agent.

However, the Rams opted to waive Whitley coming out of the preseason and he was later signed to their practice squad. The Chiefs signed him to their active roster a few weeks later, only to later waive him and re-sign him to their practice squad. 

The Vikings later signed Whitley to their active roster before waiving him and adding him back to the practice squad. He returned on a futures deal with Minnesota in 2023 and was signed to the practice squad coming out of the preseason. The Giants signed him to their active roster in November. 

Whitley was on the Giants practice squad in 2024 when he was once again signed away, this time by the Cardinals. Arizona released him coming out of the preseason in 2025. 

During his college career at Holy Cross, Whitley appeared in 42 games and recorded 49 tackles, 5.5 sacks, and a forced fumble over the course of five seasons.

For his NFL career, Whitley has appeared in six games for the Vikings and Giants and recorded no tackles, one fumble recovery and a pass deflection.