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Jason Pierre-Paul will make his return to an NFL field on Sunday after more than two years away. The 36-year-old hasn't played since Dec. 11, 2023 but will be elevated from the practice squad by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for their Week 16 game against the Carolina Panthers.

Pierre-Paul last suited up in 2023 as a member of the Miami Dolphins before signing to the Bucs' practice squad earlier this month. The veteran pass rusher hasn't played for the Buccaneers since the 2021 season when he totaled three tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks in 12 games.

The Bucs brought in Pierre-Paul in hopes of adding some organizational depth along the defensive line. At the time, Pierre-Paul credited his personal trainer for keeping him in NFL shape.

"I've been doing a lot of training with my personal trainer," Pierre-Paul said. "He don't stop. He trains everyday. I'm like, 'In football, we get a break.' He did the best job of it. We kept it going. He got me in the best shape, I won't say of my whole entire career, damn near."

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This will be Pierre-Paul's second stint with the Bucs, and the first one went pretty well. In 2020, he earned Pro Bowl honors while playing a key role in helping Tampa Bay win Super Bowl LV.

In his 14-year career, Pierre-Paul has 631 tackles, 127 tackles for loss and 94.5 sacks. Coming back to the Bucs with a wealth of experience (and two Super Bowl rings), Pierre-Paul said he just wanted to connect with his teammates as quickly as possible.

"It's all about family, man," Pierre-Paul said after signing to the practice squad. "So when I step in here, it's family Some guys I don't know. It's all new faces, some of them. I'm gonna get to know them, slowly but surely and with four games left, but I'm gonna make the best of it. Getting to know everybody on the team and trying to connect with them somehow. Whether it's eating with them or talking about life goals or something. I'm gonna be able to connect with guys on the team."

Pierre-Paul's first game back will be a big one. The Buccaneers and Panthers are both 7-7 and in a deadlock atop the NFC South. This Sunday will bring the first of two critical head-to-head matchups in the last three weeks. The Bucs are three-point road favorites (via DraftKings) in this one.