Tampa Bay Buccaneers sign Eric Rivers Jr.

The signing of Eric Rivers Jr earns a C+ Contract Value Index (CVI), a middling verdict that reflects a deal carrying moderate upside but real uncertainty at a modest price point. Rivers Jr. lands in the solid-starter-to-above-average range of production expectations at his position, though the data here doesn't paint him as a difference-maker who immediately reshapes Tampa Bay's depth chart. At a $5.94M AAV across four years totaling $23.76M, the contract sits in a range where the Buccaneers aren't overcommitting at the top end, but they're also not locking in the kind of bargain that defines elite roster construction. The CVI grade reflects that tension — this is a functional signing that fills a need without generating surplus value or leaving obvious cap flexibility on the table. Four years is a meaningful commitment for a player at this tier, and the back half of the deal carries the most risk if Rivers Jr. doesn't develop into a more impactful contributor during the early portion of the contract. For a Buccaneers team currently sitting at 8-9 and on the outside of NFC playoff positioning heading into an offseason with 120 days until the 2026 regular season, this kind of signing speaks to roster maintenance rather than roster elevation. The front office gets a serviceable piece at a reasonable price, but the CVI says this is a hold-the-line move — not a needle-mover.