BuccaneersFan.com • Player Spotlight • Tampa Bay No. 87
Current official portrait: Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tight end • Fourth NFL season
A tight end with more than one assignment
William Payne Durham
- Born
- June 15, 2000
- Hometown
- Suwanee, Georgia
- Listed size
- 6 feet 5 inches • 255 pounds
- High school
- Peachtree Ridge • Suwanee, Georgia
- College
- Purdue University • 2018–2022
- Draft
- April 29, 2023 • Round 5 • No. 171 overall
- Buccaneers
- 2023–present
Sources: Buccaneers profile, Purdue biography and draft trade announcement. The university and club verify his full name; Suwanee is his listed hometown.
Sources: Tampa Bay’s selection and Purdue’s completed-career summary. NFL figures stop after November 1, 2026 (Week 8), checked November 3.
A basketball shot helped bring Payne Durham back toward football. He had been playing lacrosse when his high-school football coach made a three-pointer during a pep rally, convincing him to try out as a senior. That decision eventually led to Purdue and a place in Tampa Bay’s tight end room. The club’s account of his beginnings.
For the Krewe, Durham’s story offers two kinds of plays to enjoy. There is the catch that moves the chains or reaches the end zone, and there is the block that gives a teammate room to run. Following No. 87 means paying attention to both parts of the job.
Peachtree Ridge → Purdue → Tampa Bay
A different sport opened the door
2017 A senior-year opportunity.
At Peachtree Ridge, Durham moved from lacrosse into a football role that included tight end, receiver and H-back. He earned all-county and all-region recognition. That high-school season gave college coaches a chance to see how his size and hands translated to the gridiron. The Bucs’ draft background.
2018–2022 Five years as a Boilermaker.
Durham’s redshirt season included two reserve appearances. He then developed into a regular part of Purdue’s passing game, ending his college career with 21 receiving touchdowns. In 2022, he helped the Boilermakers win the Big Ten West and reached the conference championship game. The school biography; the draft recap.
2023 Tampa Bay moved up.
The Bucs traded the 175th and 252nd picks to the Rams for No. 171, moving four places to select Durham in the fifth round. He signed his rookie contract on June 8, 2023. The trade details; the signing record.
December 29, 2024 • Week 17 vs. Carolina
An NFL first in a big home win
A milestone for No. 87
1
FIRST NFL TOUCHDOWN
Five-yard pass from Baker Mayfield.
Two catches for 36 yards that afternoon.
TAMPA BAY 48 • CAROLINA 14
With Cade Otton unavailable, Durham made an early contribution on a 31-yard seam reception that set up a touchdown. Later, Mayfield found him for a five-yard score, the first of Durham’s NFL career. The game recap; the tight ends’ performance.
The afternoon gave fans a clear look at what another opportunity could mean: a larger role, a play down the middle and a first trip to the end zone.
A catch, a block and the assignment between them
Where his work fits the offense
Durham’s opportunity in December 2024 began before the Carolina touchdown. With Otton sidelined, he took on a larger offensive role against Dallas and caught five passes. The club’s following-week depth-chart report described the jump in responsibility. The December 2024 role change.
His assignments have also depended heavily on blocking. The Bucs’ July 2026 assessment described his previous season primarily in those terms and discussed his place in packages featuring multiple tight ends. The current depth chart lists him behind Cade Otton in a group that also includes Ko Kieft and Bauer Sharp. The preseason assessment; current tight end depth.
A recent example came on October 25, 2026. The club’s Carolina recap specifically credited Durham with a block that helped Sean Tucker’s 46-yard rushing touchdown in the 43–13 win. Tucker carried the ball; Durham helped provide the opening. The Week 7 account.
That is a useful way to watch a tight end with a modest receiving line. Follow his first steps, where he meets a defender and whether he releases into a route. The assignment can explain his contribution before a pass is thrown.
NFL regular season • 2023–2026
The Buccaneers record through Week 8
The season table records Durham’s participation and receiving production. Starts and catches describe different things: a tight end can be in the opening formation and spend much of his afternoon blocking. The 2026 row is a partial-season snapshot.
| Season | G | GS | REC | Yards | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 13 | 2 | 5 | 58 | 11.6 | 25 | 0 |
| 2024 | 16 | 6 | 11 | 115 | 10.5 | 31 | 2 |
| 2025 | 17 | 10 | 1 | 11 | 11.0 | 11 | 0 |
| 2026* | 8 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 |
| Career | 54 | 21 | 18 | 189 | 10.5 | 31 | 2 |
G = games played; GS = games started; REC = receptions; AVG = yards per reception; LNG = longest reception; TD = receiving touchdowns. See the source note for reconciled participation and averages.
Statistics and calculation note: Completed-season figures use the official career record. The current profile still lists five appearances and one start for 2026; all eight NFL gamebooks establish eight appearances and three starts, giving 54 career games and 21 starts. Starts came in Weeks 3, 6 and 8. Receiving averages here are calculated from exact catches and yards: 189 ÷ 18 = 10.5 for his career and 115 ÷ 11 = 10.5 for 2024, resolving inconsistent displayed averages. LNG is the longest reception; dashes mean no catch from which to calculate an average or long. *2026 is partial. TGT = targets, verified for the current game log. Gamebooks: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8.
2026 game-by-game receiving and participation • through Week 8
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | G | GS | REC | Yards | AVG | LNG | TD | TGT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 09/13 | @ Cincinnati | L 27–33 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | 09/20 | Cleveland | L 19–23 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | 09/27 | Minnesota | L 16–23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | 10/04 | Green Bay | L 14–17 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | 10/08 | @ Dallas | W 24–16 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 6 | 10/18 | Pittsburgh | L 19–26 (OT) | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | 10/25 | @ Carolina | W 43–13 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | 11/01 | Atlanta | W 16–0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 |
| Total | Through W8 | Tampa Bay | 3–5 | 8 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
Scores show Tampa Bay first; @ means an away game and OT means overtime. A game without a catch can still include offensive and special-teams work. Tables scroll horizontally on small screens.
Sources: official game log and career record, supplemented by the gamebooks identified in the statistical note.
2023 and 2024 NFL seasons
Playoff work in his first two seasons
Durham appeared against Philadelphia and Detroit in January 2024, then against Washington in January 2025. His 18-yard reception against Philadelphia came in Tampa Bay’s Wild Card victory. The January dates belong to the previous calendar year’s NFL season. Philadelphia gamebook; the club’s postseason summary.
NFL postseason receiving • actual appearances
| Season / round | Date | Opponent | Result | G | GS | REC | Yards | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 Wild Card | 2024-01-15 | Philadelphia | W 32–9 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 18 | 0 |
| 2023 Divisional | 2024-01-21 | @ Detroit | L 23–31 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 2024 Wild Card | 2025-01-12 | Washington | L 20–23 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| Career | Three games | Tampa Bay | 1–2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 18.0 | 18 | 0 |
Postseason figures are separate from regular-season totals. Additional official gamebooks: Detroit and Washington. Tampa Bay did not qualify for the 2025 postseason; the 2026 postseason had not begun at this update.
Purdue Boilermakers • 2018–2022
A productive target in West Lafayette
Purdue records 45 career appearances for Durham. His final season produced 56 catches, 560 yards and eight receiving touchdowns, earning second-team All-Big Ten recognition. He was also a 2022 Mackey Award semifinalist and received Phil Steele All-America honorable mention. The completed-career account; the school’s honors list.
In the December 30, 2021 Music City Bowl, he caught five passes for 85 yards and two touchdowns, including a 62-yard score, as Purdue beat Tennessee 48–45 in overtime. That performance is included in his 2021 season totals. The official bowl gamebook.
Purdue season-by-season receiving • including actual bowl participation
| Season | G | GS | REC | Yards | AVG | LNG | TD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2018 (RS) | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 |
| 2019 | 12 | 4 | 9 | 82 | 9.1 | 26 | 4 |
| 2020 | 6 | 6 | 16 | 166 | 10.4 | 29 | 3 |
| 2021 | 12 | 10 | 45 | 467 | 10.4 | 62 | 6 |
| 2022 | 13 | 12 | 56 | 560 | 10.0 | 56 | 8 |
| Career | 45 | 32 | 126 | 1,275 | 10.1 | 62 | 21 |
The 2018 redshirt season included two reserve appearances with no receiving statistics. Purdue’s 45-game career count includes those appearances; the Buccaneers biography’s 41-game summary differs. The table follows the school’s annual participation record. He opted out of the 2022-season Citrus Bowl, played in January 2023.
Sources: Purdue’s annual biography, final statistics for 2019, 2020 and 2021, plus the completed-career summary and Citrus Bowl participation note.
Education alongside football
Durham graduated in selling and sales management. His final Purdue biography also records graduate study toward an MS in technology leadership and innovation. The completed undergraduate program and the graduate work describe distinct stages of his education. Purdue’s academic background.
Visiting, learning and giving time
Meeting people around Tampa Bay
A rookie visit to MacDill
On June 2, 2023, Durham visited MacDill Air Force Base with the Bucs’ rookie class. The club’s photographs identify him at the event, and its report describes his interest in seeing the aircraft and learning about service members’ jobs. He singled out meeting people as a favorite part of the visit. The club’s visit report.
A holiday visit with the tight ends
In December 2025, Durham joined fellow tight ends and Buccaneers cheerleaders at AdventHealth Tampa. The hospital reported that the group visited pediatric patients and staff and brought gifts before Christmas. It was a team activity with a purpose well beyond game preparation. The hospital’s account.
His public community choices also include representing Savage Freedoms Relief Operation in the 2024 My Cause My Cleats campaign. The club listed that organization as his selection for the December initiative. The 2024 cause list.
Watch the assignment unfold
A fuller view of No. 87
Durham’s first touchdown belongs in the highlight reel, and his work opening a path for a teammate belongs in the story too. For the Krewe, those moments make a good invitation to keep watching after the ball goes elsewhere. A tight end’s contribution can begin at the line and finish several yards away.
Sources & statistical notes
Updated November 3, 2026. NFL figures stop after November 1, Week 8. Regular season, postseason and completed college records are shown separately.
- NFL profile and participation: Buccaneers biography, game log and current depth chart.
- Football milestones: draft trade, 2024 Carolina performance and 2026 Carolina blocking contribution.
- Purdue: biography and education and completed-career summary.
- Community: MacDill visit and AdventHealth holiday visit.