An undrafted Iowa product who has bounced across three franchises while carving out a role as a hard-hitting depth safety.
Kaevon Merriweather turned down major basketball interest to pursue football at Iowa, then fought his way onto NFL rosters as an undrafted free agent. After stints in Tampa Bay and Detroit, the physical safety landed in Houston, where he is looking to lock down a full-time defensive role.
Path to the league
Merriweather rose through Iowa's defense from 2018 to 2022, capping his college career with first-team All-American recognition from CBS Sports as a senior. He went unselected in the 2023 NFL Draft but signed with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and made the club's initial 53-man roster.
Career highlights
Merriweather has totaled 38 career tackles, a sack, a fumble recovery and multiple pass deflections across stops with Tampa Bay and Detroit's practice squad. His physical, downhill style has made him a valuable special-teams and depth safety option wherever he has landed.
2025 season recap
Merriweather was released by Tampa Bay in December 2025 after a second stint with the club, then quickly signed to the Texans' practice squad on December 23, 2025. Houston brought him aboard on a reserve/futures contract in January 2026 as the team looks to add depth in its secondary.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Kaevon Merriweather
- Pro Football Reference: Kaevon Merriweather
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Defense
12 games played▶Defense · career
| Year | Team | GP | TOT | SOLO | SACK | INT | FF | FR | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | buccaneers | 12 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | texans | 1 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2025 | 2025 Totals | 13 | 11 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | buccaneers | 14 | 17 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2023 | buccaneers | 16 | 21 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Safety
- Group
- defense
- College
- Iowa
- Hometown
- Belleville, MI, USA
- Age
- 26
- Status
- active
