BuccaneersFan.com • Player Spotlight • Tampa Bay No. 41
Official team portrait: Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tight end • Fifth NFL season
Make room for the Krewe
Ko Jason Kieft
- Born
- January 20, 1998
- Hometown
- Sioux Center, Iowa
- Listed size
- 6 feet 5 inches • 265 pounds
- High school
- Sioux Center • Iowa
- College
- University of Minnesota • 2016–2021
- NFL entry
- 2022 Draft • Round 6 • Pick 218
- Role
- Blocking tight end & special teams
- Current team
- Tampa Bay Buccaneers • No. 41
Sources: Minnesota biography, current Buccaneers profile, team media guide, the full-name explanation and the original draft announcement.
Sources and scope: NFL career record, original Minnesota season records and university honors.
Follow a running back through a narrow opening and look for the teammate who helped make it. That is a good way to begin watching Ko Kieft, whose work as a blocking tight end was central to Tampa Bay’s explanation when it brought him back in March 2026. The team’s assessment of his role.
The Krewe can appreciate a player willing to handle the collision at the line and then get downfield with the coverage unit. This spotlight follows those assignments alongside the catches, the college years and the moments when the football found No. 41.
Sioux Center → Minneapolis → Tampa Bay
A football education on both sides of the ball
Sioux Center, Iowa Quarterback, linebacker and a full sports calendar.
Kieft played quarterback and linebacker for the Warriors and earned all-state recognition at linebacker. He also competed in baseball, track and wrestling. Minnesota’s account of his high-school years.
Minnesota, 2016–2021 A redshirt year, then five seasons of appearances.
After redshirting in 2016, he played in 54 games and made 23 starts for the Golden Gophers. His final season included 13 starts and All-Big Ten honorable mention recognition. Original season records; university honors.
Tampa Bay, 2022 The Buccaneers traded up for their tight end.
On April 30, 2022, Tampa Bay used the 218th overall pick on Kieft. The Buccaneers sent seventh-round selections 235 and 261 to the Rams to move into the sixth round. The original draft-day announcement.
November 27, 2022 • At Cleveland
A first touchdown with a familiar quarterback
First NFL touchdown
5
YARDS ON THE PASS FROM TOM BRADY
A rookie milestone in Cleveland.
Kieft’s first NFL touchdown came against Cleveland in Week 12 of his rookie season. On third-and-one from the Browns’ five-yard line, Tom Brady used a play-action fake and found him near the right side of the end zone. The score helped put Tampa Bay ahead 17–10 in the third quarter; Cleveland eventually won 23–17 in overtime. The original game report.
His first year had already brought an NFL debut at Dallas on September 11 and a first reception against Kansas City on October 2. The Cleveland score added another milestone to that introduction. The Buccaneers’ career highlights.
Assignments at the line • Coverage work • A new contract
The work that keeps a team moving
A blocking role in the offense
The team’s March 2026 report emphasized Kieft’s work at the point of attack and the angles he takes to reach blocks in space. Those assignments help a running play develop before the ball carrier reaches the opening. Tampa Bay’s description of his blocking.
As of November 3, the team lists him third at tight end, behind Cade Otton and Payne Durham. The current depth chart.
Back for a fifth NFL season
A leg injury against the Jets in Week 3 ended Kieft’s 2025 season. The Buccaneers re-signed him on March 16, 2026, bringing him back after that interrupted campaign. The dated signing report.
The current-season gamebooks show seven appearances and 101 special-teams snaps through Week 8. Three of those appearances involved special teams exclusively. The game-by-game participation record.
October 25, 2026 • Week 7 at Carolina
Get to the loose football
At Carolina, Kieft recovered an opponent’s muffed punt at the Panthers’ 18-yard line. It was a special-teams takeaway with no return yardage, a play that gave Tampa Bay possession through the coverage unit. The official gamebook; the team’s recovery highlight.
For anyone following No. 41, it is a useful play to keep beside the receiving record: the assignment, pursuit and recovery all mattered before the offense came back onto the field.
NFL regular season • 2022–2026
The Buccaneers career record
Cutoff: November 1, 2026, after Week 8. Kieft has 60 NFL regular-season appearances and 20 starts. Sources: 2026 Buccaneers media guide, printed p. 157; all eight 2026 gamebooks linked below. Playoff statistics appear separately.
| Season | G | GS | REC | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 17 | 12 | 7 | 80 | 11.4 | 19 | 1 |
| 2023 | 16 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2024 | 17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 2026 (Wk 1–8) | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| NFL career | 60 | 20 | 8 | 82 | 10.3 | 19 | 2 |
G = games played; GS = starts; REC = receptions; YDS = receiving yards; AVG = yards per catch; LNG = longest catch; TD = receiving touchdowns. A dash in AVG or LNG means there were no catches. Career averages use total yards divided by total catches, and the career long is the longest gain.
His career average is 82 yards ÷ 8 catches = 10.3, rounded to one decimal. The zero-catch seasons still include his actual appearances. No regular-season rushing attempt or punt return is recorded through this cutoff.
Special-teams tackles and kickoff returns
| Season | ST TKL | KR | KR YDS | KR AVG | KR LNG | KR TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 11 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 | 0 |
| 2023 | 7 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 2025 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 2026 (Wk 1–8) | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| NFL career | 26 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 | 0 |
ST TKL = combined special-teams tackles; KR = kickoff returns; KR YDS/AVG/LNG/TD = kickoff-return yards, average, longest return and touchdowns. The coverage total is 26 tackles. His one kickoff return gained seven yards in 2022. The 2026 Carolina muff recovery is listed in the game-by-game table as a recovery and does not count as a punt or kickoff return.
Sources: 2022 season review; 2022 kickoff return and coverage record, media guide p. 457; 2023 final special-teams report, PDF p. 57; 2024 record in the 2025 media guide, printed p. 177; 2025 coverage record and four-season total; 2026 gamebooks below. Combined coverage totals are used consistently where older records label tackle components differently. The 2024 total is reconciled from 21 career tackles through that season, minus 11 in 2022 and seven in 2023.
September 13–November 1, 2026
This season, game by game
Seven appearances include one offensive start. Week 4 is identified as inactive, while the appearances with only special-teams snaps remain part of his games-played total.
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | Status | G | GS | OFF | ST | ST TKL | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2026-09-13 | @ CIN | L 27–33 | Reserve | 1 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 2026-09-20 | vs. CLE | L 19–23 | ST only | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 2026-09-27 | vs. MIN | L 16–23 | Started | 1 | 1 | 2 | 32 | 1 | 0 |
| 4 | 2026-10-04 | vs. GB | L 14–17 | Inactive | 0 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 5 | 2026-10-08 | @ DAL | W 24–16 | Reserve | 1 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | 2026-10-18 | vs. PIT | L 19–26 (OT) | ST only | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| 7 | 2026-10-25 | @ CAR | W 43–13 | Reserve | 1 | 0 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 8 | 2026-11-01 | vs. ATL | W 16–0 | ST only | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 7 games | — | — | — | 7 | 1 | 10 | 101 | 2 | 1 |
G = appearance (1) or no appearance (0); GS = start; OFF = offensive snaps; ST = special-teams snaps; ST TKL = combined coverage tackles; FR = opponent fumble recovered on special teams. Week 4 was inactive; dashes mark its performance cells. Weeks 2, 6 and 8 were actual special-teams-only appearances. The seven appearances total 10 offensive snaps and 101 special-teams snaps, with one solo and one assisted coverage tackle. No reception, rushing attempt or return attempt was recorded in those games.
The gamebooks label snap counts unofficial. Results are from Tampa Bay’s perspective; vs. = home, @ = away, OT = overtime. CIN = Cincinnati; CLE = Cleveland; MIN = Minnesota; GB = Green Bay; DAL = Dallas; PIT = Pittsburgh; CAR = Carolina; ATL = Atlanta.
Official gamebooks: Week 1: lineup / coverage tackles / snaps; Week 2: lineup / coverage tackles / snaps; Week 3: lineup / coverage tackles / snaps; Week 4: lineup / coverage tackles / snaps; Week 5: lineup / coverage tackles / snaps; Week 6: lineup / coverage tackles / snaps; Week 7: lineup / coverage tackles / snaps; Week 8: lineup / coverage tackles / snaps. Carolina recovery: fumble record / play description.
2022–2024 seasons • Games played in January 2023–2025
Four appearances on the NFL playoff stage
| Date | Season / Round | Opponent | Result | GS | REC | YDS | OFF | ST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-01-16 | 2022 / Wild Card | vs. DAL | L 14–31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 14 |
| 2024-01-15 | 2023 / Wild Card | vs. PHI | W 32–9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 10 |
| 2024-01-21 | 2023 / Divisional | @ DET | L 23–31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 9 |
| 2025-01-12 | 2024 / Wild Card | vs. WAS | L 20–23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 16 |
| Playoff total | 4 appearances | — | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 30 | 49 |
All four rows are actual playoff appearances: two starts, 30 offensive snaps and 49 special-teams snaps. Kieft had no postseason reception, rushing attempt or kick/punt return in these games. January dates belong to the preceding regular season. DAL = Dallas; PHI = Philadelphia; DET = Detroit; WAS = Washington. Snap counts are labeled unofficial by the gamebooks.
Original gamebooks: 2023-01-16 vs. DAL: participation / statistics / snaps; 2024-01-15 vs. PHI: participation / statistics / snaps; 2024-01-21 at DET: participation / statistics / snaps; 2025-01-12 vs. WAS: participation / statistics / snaps. Tampa Bay did not qualify for the 2025 postseason; the 2026 playoffs have not yet occurred. Source: the Buccaneers’ 2025 review.
University of Minnesota • 2016–2021
The Golden Gophers record
The full Minnesota participation record contains 54 games and 23 starts. The 2016 redshirt row contributes no appearance. The 2019 season contributes 12 games even though Kieft did not make a catch. University season records establish the 54-game total; a later Buccaneers biography lists a conflicting 49.
| Season | G | GS | REC | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 (redshirt) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 2017 | 12 | 0 | 2 | 17 | 8.5 | 12 | 0 |
| 2018 | 13 | 3 | 1 | 19 | 19.0 | 19 | 0 |
| 2019 | 12 | 5 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 2020 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 29 | 14.5 | 15 | 1 |
| 2021 | 13 | 13 | 7 | 101 | 14.4 | 37 | 1 |
| College career | 54 | 23 | 12 | 166 | 13.8 | 37 | 2 |
Career receiving: 12 catches, 166 yards and two touchdowns; 166 ÷ 12 gives a 13.8-yard average. The 37-yard long came in 2021. Definitions match the NFL receiving table.
Rushing: one carry for −2 yards in 2020, average −2.0, with no rushing touchdown. The original university record prints a longest rush of 0, which is retained here. His 2018 receiving two-point conversion against Fresno State is tracked separately from ordinary catches and touchdowns.
Original final-season records: 2017 final statistics, PDF p. 4; 2018 final statistics, PDF p. 3; 2019 final statistics, PDF p. 4; 2020 final statistics, PDF p. 4; 2021 final statistics, PDF p. 3. Games, starts and redshirt context: the university biography and the original 2022 Buccaneers draft capsule.
Three actual bowl appearances
| Date | Bowl | Opponent | Result | GS | REC | YDS | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018-12-26 | Quick Lane Bowl | Georgia Tech | W 34–10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 2020-01-01 | Outback Bowl | Auburn | W 31–24 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 2021-12-28 | Guaranteed Rate Bowl | West Virginia | W 18–6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| Bowl total | 3 appearances | — | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
These three appearances are already included in the college season totals. Kieft was a reserve in the Quick Lane Bowl and started the Outback and Guaranteed Rate bowls. He had no catches or carries in those games; a dash in AVG or LNG means there was no reception. The January 1, 2020 Outback Bowl belongs to the 2019 season. Results are from Minnesota’s perspective.
Original university box scores: Quick Lane Bowl (2018-12-26); Outback Bowl (2020-01-01); Guaranteed Rate Bowl (2021-12-28).
Family • Academics • Community
The person behind No. 41
Two letters, a family connection The story behind Ko.
His full name is Ko Jason Kieft. In a January 2024 team mailbag, the Buccaneers explained that his first name comes from Jakobus, the name of a great-grandfather. The team’s answer to a fan’s question.
Five years of academic honors Recognized from 2017 through 2021.
Minnesota lists five Academic All-Big Ten selections for Kieft. His university honors.
In its December 2020 academic report, the university also identified him among its athletes with a 4.0 cumulative GPA. The university’s dated announcement.
A visit to Moffitt Joining the Rookie Club in Tampa.
On October 11, 2022, Kieft joined fellow Buccaneers rookies at Moffitt Cancer Center through the team’s Rookie Club community program. The team’s photographs document him with teammates and Moffitt CEO Dr. Patrick Hwu during the visit. The official photo report.
Sources & statistical notes
The records behind the spotlight
- Identity and biography: the Buccaneers’ current roster profile and 2026 media guide; Minnesota’s official biography; the January 12, 2024 team mailbag for his full name and its family origin.
- Draft: the original April 30, 2022 announcement establishes pick 218. That original selection record takes precedence over a conflicting number in later biography text.
- NFL statistics: 2026 Buccaneers media guide, printed p. 157; original special-teams records and the 2026 gamebooks linked beneath their tables. The career receiving average is calculated from 82 yards and eight catches. Inactive weeks and special-teams-only appearances are labeled explicitly.
- College statistics: the five original Minnesota final-season packets linked above, the university biography and the original draft capsule for participation, and three actual bowl box scores. The complete 54-game record includes the zero-catch 2019 season.
- Academics and community: Minnesota’s listed honors and December 2020 academic announcement; the team’s October 11, 2022 Moffitt photo report. Academic achievements are described as the sources report them.
- Portrait: the current official Buccaneers player-profile image.
Updated November 3, 2026. NFL regular-season statistics stop after November 1, 2026, Week 8. Preseason is excluded. NFL playoff figures are separate; college bowl figures are already included in the college season totals.