Sep 22, 2013; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Green Bay Packers free safety M.D. Jennings (43) returns a fumble for a touchdown against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Pat Lovell-USA TODAY Sports
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have signed safety M.D. Jennings to a future contract the team announced Monday.
Jennings didn’t play in 2014 but had considerable playing time from 2011-13 as a member of the Green Bay Packers, where he started all 16 games in 2013 and 10 in 2012.
He has racked up 133 tackles and one sack. He also has one career interception that he returned 72 yards for a touchdown during the 2012 season.
He spent the 2014 preseason with the Bears but was released with an injury settlement. He had a tryout with Seattle in September but didn’t sign.
Currently, the Bucs other safety options are Bradley McDougald, Dashon Goldson, Major Wright, Keith Tandy and Shelton Johnson. However, Wright and Johnson are due to be free agents.
Jennings is perhaps best known for being the safety that ‘intercepted’ Russell Wilson’s Hail Mary on a Monday night game that was instead ruled a touchdown by officials in 2012.
The Bucs also announced that they signed punter Chase Tenpenny and tight end Taylor Sloat to future contracts.
Tenpenny spent his 2014 with training camp with the San Diego Chargers but was cut. He will likely challenge Michael Koenen for the team’s punt job.
Sloat spent parts of the 2014 season on the Bucs practice squad.
According to Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times, of the 12 players the Bucs signed to futures contracts last offseason, only one made the 53-man roster: kicker Patrick Murray.