Mike Evans

Bucs head coach responds to Austin Seferian-Jenkins' sideline tantrum

Published Nov. 15, 2016 2:24 p.m. ET

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Cameron DaSilva

Austin Seferian-Jenkins was once viewed as a key piece in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ offense when he was drafted in the second round two years ago. He’s a big, physical tight end standing at 6-foot-5 and fits in perfectly with the likes of Mike Evans and Vincent Jackson.

Unfortunately, he hasn’t exactly been productive the past two seasons. And now it’s spilled over into this preseason as well. His rough offseason began when he was thrown out of practice for not knowing what he was doing. He was then demoted to second-string tight end. 

And on Wednesday night, his chances of making the roster took a serious hit when, during Tampa Bay's 20-13 loss to the Washington Redskins, Seferian-Jenkins got into it with the Bucs sideline and began barking at coaches before being separated by a teammate.

Head coach Dirk Koetter took exception to his actions and reminded him of his job: to play football.

"We've got to remember that players play, coaches coach," Koetter said of the dispute.

It’s unclear exactly what Seferian-Jenkins was upset about, but he probably wasn’t happy with his play. He caught two passes for 22 yards despite being targeted seven times.

But a combination of his poor play and confrontational attitude could cause the 23-year-old to lose his roster spot on the line, even though Koetter wouldn’t address that idea directly.

"His roster spot, I didn't mean it that way if I said it that way," Koetter said of Seferian-Jenkins playing to keep his job. "We wanted him to play, we wanted him to get some reps tonight."

Still, Seferian-Jenkins appears to be a candidate to be cut before Saturday’s deadline. And while he’d likely be picked up fairly quickly, this still isn’t a good look for the tight end. 

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Mike Evans

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

National Football League