Bucs Nation
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced today that the team has signed cornerback Zyon McCollum to a multi-year contract extension.
McCollum has appeared in 47 career games, with 29 starts, since being selected by Tampa Bay in the fifth round (No. 157 overall) of the 2022 NFL Draft. He has also appeared in all four of Tampa Bay’s postseason contests over that span. To date, McCollum has recorded 163 career tackles, 27 passes defensed, two interceptions, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.
McCollum has decreased his completion percentage allowed and his passer rating when targeted across each of his three seasons played, culminating in career-best marks in 2024 with a 58.4% completion rate allowed and an 85.7 passer rating allowed. Last season, McCollum also posted career highs in tackles (82), passes defensed (17) and interceptions (2). During the 2024 season, his 17 passes defensed tied for the third-most in the NFL.
“Zyon has developed into an every-down starter for us and continues to elevate his game each year,” said Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht. “His athleticism, paired with his ability to limit opposing receivers, gives us a dependable and dynamic defender in the secondary. We are excited to keep an ascending player like Zyon in Tampa as we continue building around a young, talented core.”
Despite defending the third-most pass attempts in the NFL in 2024 (101 targets), according to Next Gen Stats, McCollum ranked fifth in lowest completion percentage when targeted (58.4%) and ninth in lowest opponent passer rating allowed (85.7). Per Pro Football Focus metrics, among cornerbacks with at least 1,000 snaps played in 2024, McCollum was the seventh-highest rated cornerback in the NFL in 2024.
A native of Galveston, Texas, McCollum played collegiately at Sam Houston State (2017-21), where he appeared in 56 career games and earned First-Team All-Conference honors three times (All-Southland 2018, 2020; All-Western Athletic Conference 2021).
(Courtesy of the Buccaneers Communications Department.)
