The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced today the team has signed guard Ali Marpet to a six-year contract which replaces his current deal and adds a five-year extension through the 2023 season.
"One of our top priorities heading into this season was to secure our core players to long-term deals and I am thrilled to add Ali to that list," said Buccaneers General Manager Jason Licht. "In his first four seasons, Ali has developed into one of the league's best offensive guards and we believe he will only continue to improve. His ability to play multiple positions across the line, along with his strong work ethic and overall leadership abilities, were all important factors in our decision to ensure he remains a Buccaneer for the long term."
Marpet (6-4, 307) was drafted by Tampa Bay in the second round (61st overall) of the 2015 NFL Draft. Since joining the team, he has started all 44 games he has played in for the Buccaneers. Marpet has proven to be a versatile player, starting his first 29 career games at right guard, before making the switch to center in 2017, where he started all 11 games he played in. This season, Marpet has started all four games for Tampa Bay at left guard.
"I feel incredibly grateful," said Marpet. "It's awesome that the Buccaneers wanted me here as much as I wanted to stay here. I love the Tampa Bay community and the organization and I want to thank the Glazer family for making this possible."
Since joining the Buccaneers in 2015, Marpet has been a key figure in an offense that ranks sixth in the NFL in yards gained per game (367.4) and in passing yards per game (261.5), while converting 42.8 percent of third downs, the third-highest mark in the NFL during that span.
A native of Hastings-On-Hudson, New York, Marpet played collegiately at Hobart. During his highly decorated senior season, he was named a Division III All-American and earned the Liberty League Co-Offensive Player of the Year, becoming the first offensive lineman to earn the distinction. When he was selected by Tampa Bay with the 61st overall pick in the NFL Draft, he became the highest-drafted Division III player in NFL history.
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