Buccaneers Rumors: Jason Pierre-Paul Reworks Contract; Will Be FA After Season

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Jason Pierre-Paul reportedly reached an agreement Wednesday on a reworked contract that will make the defensive end an unrestricted free agent after the 2019 NFL season.

ESPN's Field Yates reported Pierre-Paul, who's on the reserve/non-football injury list after suffering a neck injury in an offseason car crash, will receive upwards of $10 million in pay under the restructured deal while the Bucs clear $4.4 million in space under the salary cap.

JPP was originally scheduled to remain under contract with Tampa Bay through the 2020 season under a four-year, $62 million deal he signed with the New York Giants in March 2017.

Although the Bucs haven't provided a firm timetable for the edge-rusher's return, the earliest he's expected back in the lineup is November, per ESPN's Jenna Laine.

"My car just did a 360," Pierre-Paul said on a 911 call following the May crash that left him with a fractured neck, according to Andy Slater of Slater Scoops. "I hit the median, but I'm OK."

The 30-year-old Florida native had his right index finger amputated in 2015 after an Independence Day fireworks accident.

Pierre-Paul bounced back from that serious injury to remain a productive defensive lineman for both the Giants and Bucs. He recorded 28 sacks over the previous three seasons, including 12.5 sacks during his first year with Tampa in 2018.

The reworked contract will give him additional motivation to get back on the field this season to prove he's once again healthy before hitting free agency. That said, his pass-rushing track record is among the best among active players at the position, with 71 sacks in 127 career games.