BuccaneersFan.com • Player Spotlight • Tampa Bay No. 46
Current official portrait: Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Linebacker • NFL rookie
From the Wolfpack to the Krewe
Caden Fordham
- Born
- October 21, 2002
- Hometown
- Ponte Vedra, Florida
- Listed size
- 6 feet 1 inch • 223 pounds
- High school
- The Bolles School • Jacksonville, Florida
- College
- NC State University • 2021–2025
- NFL entry
- Undrafted free agent • Signed May 8, 2026
- NFL debut
- October 4, 2026 • vs. Green Bay
- Current status
- Buccaneers practice squad • Two game-day elevations
Sources: Buccaneers profile, 2026 Buccaneers media guide, p. 254, NC State biography and 2026 transactions. Hometown and current listed measurements are shown.
NFL figures stop after November 1, 2026 (Week 8), checked November 3. Sources: the NFL participation checks, final college statistics and NC State’s captain announcement.
Caden Fordham had already made a memorable appearance at Raymond James Stadium before becoming a Buccaneer. He finished his college career there as the 2025 Gasparilla Bowl MVP, helping NC State defeat Memphis. A few months later, the linebacker began a new chapter in Tampa Bay as an undrafted rookie. The bowl finale; his NFL arrival.
His early professional story is taking shape through special teams and practice-squad opportunities. For the Krewe, it is a chance to get to know a player while those first assignments are still becoming part of his record. The college achievements provide background; each NFL appearance begins a new line.
Ponte Vedra → Raleigh → Tampa Bay
Three stages, a widening responsibility
The Bolles School A player with several jobs.
Fordham was a three-year varsity starter at linebacker for coach Matt Toblin. His work extended to running back, punting and kickoff returns, and Bolles reached the Florida Class 4A championship game during his senior season. He enrolled at NC State in January 2021, joining the Wolfpack for spring practice. His school background.
2021–2025 From a redshirt to a captain.
His first college season included three appearances before a redshirt. The following year brought mainly special-teams work. By August 2025, teammates had elected him one of NC State’s four captains, alongside CJ Bailey, Sean Brown and Anthony Carter Jr. The early seasons; the captain vote.
2026 Earning another opportunity.
Fordham signed with Tampa Bay on May 8. He made the initial 53-man roster after camp, was subsequently waived and returned on the practice squad on September 7. The season then brought two elevations for games against Green Bay and Carolina. His return; the signing announcement; the elevation record.
December 19, 2025 • Raymond James Stadium
A college farewell with a Tampa connection
Gasparilla Bowl MVP
13
TACKLES • ONE INTERCEPTION
The bowl’s first defensive MVP.
One last game for the Wolfpack.
NC STATE 31 • MEMPHIS 7
Fordham finished with 13 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss and an interception, becoming the first defensive player to receive the Gasparilla Bowl’s MVP award. It was a productive final afternoon for a senior whose season had already included a return from injury. The official game recap.
He returned a tipped-pass interception 55 yards to the Memphis three-yard line, setting up a touchdown. His last contribution was also the game’s final tackle, a stop behind the line. NC State’s account of the finish.
A return from injury • A number earned
What the No. 1 jersey represented
A knee injury in practice ended Fordham’s 2024 season. When NC State announced its No. 1 jersey recipient on August 19, 2025, coach Dave Doeren pointed to Fordham’s rehabilitation, habits and leadership. The school has awarded that number since 2014 to a player who sets a standard through preparation and daily work. The jersey announcement.
Doeren also identified the linebackers Fordham had learned around: Payton Wilson, Drake Thomas and Isaiah Moore. By his final season, Fordham was being asked to carry that example forward. The recognition gives his college story another measure alongside tackles: how the program viewed the way he prepared and led. The coach’s assessment.
His return brought first-team All-ACC honors and a place among the 15 semifinalists for the 2025 Comeback Player of the Year Award. He played both linebacker positions during that season, taking on different responsibilities as the defense needed them. The conference honor; the comeback recognition.
- 2025: Second-team All-America, The Sporting News.
- 2025: Third-team All-America, Associated Press.
2026 NFL regular season • Through Week 8
The first special-teams appearances
Tampa Bay elevated Fordham for the October 4 game against Green Bay, his regular-season NFL debut. A second elevation followed for the October 25 trip to Carolina, after Christian Rozeboom went on injured reserve. These were temporary game-day opportunities from the practice squad. The first elevation; the second call-up.
Through November 1, his record is two appearances and no starts. Both appearances came on special teams, with no defensive snaps or credited tackles. He returned to the practice squad after each game. The weekly table tracks those appearances alongside the weeks he remained on the practice squad.
Participation note, November 3: The summary profile still lists one game, but the official gamebooks confirm two regular-season appearances and no starts: October 4 against Green Bay and October 25 at Carolina. Both appearances were on special teams. During the other six weeks he remained on the practice squad without an elevation. The transaction record confirms his call-ups and returns. *ST snap counts come from the gamebooks’ playtime appendices, which label those figures unofficial. Gamebooks: Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8.
2026 game-by-game participation • regular season
| Week | Date | Opponent | Tampa Bay result | Roster / role | G | GS | ST snaps* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 09/13 | @ Cincinnati | L 27–33 | PS — not elevated | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2 | 09/20 | Cleveland | L 19–23 | PS — not elevated | 0 | 0 | — |
| 3 | 09/27 | Minnesota | L 16–23 | PS — not elevated | 0 | 0 | — |
| 4 | 10/04 | Green Bay | L 14–17 | Elevated — special teams | 1 | 0 | 4 |
| 5 | 10/08 | @ Dallas | W 24–16 | PS — not elevated | 0 | 0 | — |
| 6 | 10/18 | Pittsburgh | L 19–26 (OT) | PS — not elevated | 0 | 0 | — |
| 7 | 10/25 | @ Carolina | W 43–13 | Elevated — special teams | 1 | 0 | 7 |
| 8 | 11/01 | Atlanta | W 16–0 | PS — not elevated | 0 | 0 | — |
| Total | Through W8 | Tampa Bay | Team 3–5 | Two elevated appearances | 2 | 0 | 11 |
G = games played; GS = games started; ST = special teams; PS = practice squad. Scores show Tampa Bay first; @ means an away game and OT means overtime. Practice squad without elevation is a roster status, distinct from being active but unused or listed inactive.
Sources: official game log, transactions and gamebooks linked in the participation note. Tables scroll horizontally on small screens.
NFL postseason: Fordham has no NFL playoff appearances at this update. His rookie season is still underway, and the 2026 postseason has not begun. His college bowl games appear separately below.
August 2026 • Defense and kick coverage
Making a case during the summer
Fordham appeared in all three preseason games and made 10 tackles on defense, with two tackles for loss and a pass defensed. His four solo tackles in kick coverage were a separate contribution; the Bucs reported that total as the highest in the league during the preseason. The club’s preseason review.
That combination shows the range of work available to a rookie linebacker. A defensive series asks him to read an offense; a coverage assignment asks him to work through space with teammates. His August record gives fans a concrete starting point for following both parts of his development.
2026 preseason record • kept separate from regular-season totals
| Week | Date | Opponent | Result | G | GS | DEF solo | DEF AST | DEF total | ST solo | TFL | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 08/14 | @ New York Jets | W 24–16 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 2 | 08/22 | Kansas City Chiefs | W 16–15 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 3 | 08/28 | @ Jacksonville Jaguars | L 0–19 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 2026 | Tampa Bay | Team 2–1 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 2 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 1 |
DEF solo and DEF AST are defensive solo and assisted tackles; DEF total is their sum. ST solo counts special-teams tackles. TFL = tackles for loss; PD = passes defensed. These August appearances and statistics are excluded from the regular-season figures above.
The final gamebooks credit 10 defensive tackles and four solo special-teams tackles. The online log’s total of 14 combines those categories; this table uses the gamebooks for each category and the solo/assist splits. Sources: 2026-08-14, 2026-08-22, 2026-08-28.
NC State Wolfpack • 2021–2025
The seasons behind the bowl farewell
Fordham’s completed college record contains 253 tackles and 18.0 tackles for loss. The progression includes a redshirt season, reserve work, a larger role in 2023, the interrupted 2024 campaign and 143 tackles in 2025. That final season accounts for more than half of his career tackles.
NC State season-by-season statistics • including bowl appearances
| Season | G | GS | Solo | AST | Tackles | TFL | SCK | INT | PBU | FF | FR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | 13 | 2 | 22 | 31 | 53 | 4.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | 6 | 6 | 21 | 28 | 49 | 4.0 | 1.0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025 | 13 | 13 | 61 | 82 | 143 | 10.0 | 3.5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1 |
| NC State career | 48 | 21 | 106 | 147 | 253 | 18.0 | 4.5 | 2 | 6 | 1 | 2 |
TFL = tackles for loss; SCK = sacks; PBU = pass breakups; INT = interceptions; FF = forced fumbles; FR = fumble recoveries. Sacks are included in TFL. Pass breakups exclude interceptions; combined passes defensed include both. The school’s annual totals supply the career figures.
Sources: NC State’s final cumulative statistics for 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025. The final 2024 record credits 49 tackles, producing a career total of 253; the Buccaneers biography lists 48 and 252, respectively. This page follows the school’s final cumulative records.
College bowls, shown in their own context
The Gasparilla Bowl concluded a college postseason record that also includes the 2022 Duke’s Mayo Bowl and 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl. These appearances belong to his NC State career. The breakdown below gives a closer view of games already included in the season totals.
College bowl appearances • already included above
| Date | Bowl | Opponent | NC State result | G | GS | Tackles | TFL | INT | INT yards | PBU |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022-12-30 | Duke's Mayo Bowl | Maryland | L 12–16 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023-12-28 | Pop-Tarts Bowl | Kansas State | L 19–28 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 1.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2025-12-19 | Gasparilla Bowl | Memphis | W 31–7 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 1.5 | 1 | 55 | 0 |
| Bowl total | Three appearances | NC State | 1–2 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 2.5 | 1 | 55 | 1 |
Bowl statistics are not added a second time to the college career total. They are also separate from NFL postseason participation.
Sources: official box scores and participation records for the 2022 Duke’s Mayo Bowl, 2023 Pop-Tarts Bowl and 2025 Gasparilla Bowl.
A degree • A family connection • Giving back
The person beyond the tackle total
Graduation and academic recognition
Fordham earned his communications degree in May 2025. NC State’s game notes record the completed degree, while its captain announcement recognizes his third consecutive year on the ACC Academic Honor Roll. His final season therefore began with an academic milestone as well as new leadership responsibilities. The university’s game notes; the academic recognition.
Caden’s Closet
In an August 2025 interview, Fordham discussed his work with Caden’s Closet and the opportunity to help children participate in sports. He described giving back as a responsibility that came with the opportunities he had received. That firsthand account adds a specific community interest to the leadership he demonstrated at NC State. Read his interview and remarks.
Another generation in football
His father, Todd Fordham, played offensive line at Florida State before a ten-season NFL career with Jacksonville, Pittsburgh and Carolina. His brother, Corbyn, joined Florida State as a tight end in 2026. The family connection gives Caden’s NFL arrival another chapter, while his own path has taken him to the defensive side of the ball. Florida State’s family biography.
An early chapter in Tampa Bay
Keep an eye on No. 46
The bowl MVP offers a memorable introduction, and the college comeback explains some of the work behind it. Fordham’s professional career is beginning with smaller assignments and the need to stay ready. For the Krewe, the next opportunity may arrive on a coverage unit before it arrives in the defensive huddle.
Sources & statistical notes
Updated November 3, 2026. NFL regular-season figures stop after November 1, Week 8. Preseason, regular-season and college records are presented separately.
- Profile and roster history: Buccaneers profile, 2026 media guide, p. 254 and transaction ledger.
- College career: NC State biography, annual statistics linked above, No. 1 jersey announcement and All-ACC recognition.
- Gasparilla Bowl: MVP and game recap; the interception return and final tackle.
- Education and community: academic honors and captaincy; Fordham’s August 2025 interview.