Report: Bucs will not place RFA tender on S Christian Izien

The Buccaneers have made a decision regarding one of their young defensive players.

Per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, Tampa Bay will not place a restricted free agent tender on safety Christian Izien. But the Bucs still have interest in bringing him back for 2026.

Izien, 25, joined Tampa Bay as an underrated free agent in 2023. He appeared in 17 games with four starts as a rookie before playing 14 games with 10 starts in 2024. He was on the field for 14 games with one start in 2025, getting 50 percent of special teams reps in games played, along with 20 percent of defensive snaps.

He’s tallied five passes defensed, three interceptions, and three forced fumbles in his 45 career games.

Had the Buccaneers placed a right of first refusal tender on Izien, they would have owed him $3.52 million for 2026.