Former Purdue tight end Payne Durham suffered a knee injury during practice with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Wednesday. Head coach Todd Bowles announced the news but was uncertain about the injury’s severity.
Durham, 24, was a fifth-round pick by the Buccaneers in the 2023 NFL Draft. In his rookie season, he appeared in 13 games for Tampa Bay, recording five catches for 58 yards.
Durham played in Tampa Bay’s preseason opener against the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday, Aug. 10, where he caught both of his targets for 27 yards. The Buccaneers won the game 17-14.
Tests are being conducted on Durham’s knee to assess the extent of the injury. No further details were available at the time of the report.
Durham played under coach Jeff Brohm at Purdue for five seasons (2018-22), evolving into one of the top tight ends in the Big Ten. He earned second-team All-Big Ten honors in 2022.
In his senior season, Durham had the best year of his college career, amassing 56 receptions for 560 yards and eight touchdowns. He played a crucial role in leading the Boilermakers to a Big Ten West title and a spot in the conference championship game against Michigan.
Throughout his career at Purdue, Durham totaled 126 receptions for 1,275 yards and 21 touchdowns, averaging 10.1 yards per catch.
The Buccaneers’ second preseason game is set for Saturday, Aug. 17, against the Jacksonville Jaguars.
