A fifth-round Purdue product who has carved out a career as a reliable blocking tight end in Tampa Bay.
Payne Durham has spent his NFL career in the shadow of Tampa Bay's other tight ends, but he has stuck around by doing the unglamorous work in the run game. The Georgia native converted from lacrosse to football in high school and now anchors part of the Buccaneers' tight end room heading into 2026.
Path to the league
Durham played four seasons at Purdue from 2018 to 2022, catching 126 passes for 1,275 yards and 21 touchdowns over his career, leading Big Ten tight ends with 56 receptions and eight scores as a senior in 2022. The Buccaneers traded up to select him in the fifth round, 171st overall, of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Career highlights
Durham's best statistical stretch came in 2024, when he posted a career-best 11 catches for 115 yards and two touchdowns, production that spiked after starter Cade Otton missed time late in the season. Through his first three seasons he appeared in 46 games for Tampa Bay, primarily as a blocking specialist and depth receiver.
2025 season recap
Durham played all 17 games in 2025 but was used almost exclusively as a blocker after tight end Ko Kieft suffered a season-ending leg injury in Week 3. He finished with just one catch for 11 yards on four targets, his lowest receiving output since entering the league.
Sources
- Wikipedia: Payne Durham
- Pro Football Reference: Payne Durham
Statistics
2025 season and career2025 Season · Receiving
17 games played▶Receiving · career
| Year | Team | GP | REC | YDS | AVG | TD | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | buccaneers | 17 | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 0 | 11 |
| 2024 | buccaneers | 16 | 11 | 115 | 10.5 | 2 | 31 |
| 2023 | buccaneers | 13 | 5 | 58 | 11.6 | 0 | 25 |
Player Profile
Background
- Position
- Tight End
- Group
- offense
- College
- Purdue
- Hometown
- Suwanee, GA, USA
- Age
- 26
- Status
- active
