Buccaneers release Austin Seferian-Jenkins hours after DUI arrest

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers didn’t waste any time cutting ties with Austin Seferian-Jenkins, releasing the 2014 second-round pick about 10 hours after he was arrested for driving under the influence. Three days later, the New York Jets scooped up the talented tight end off waivers.

Seferian-Jenkins, 23, was arrested for DUI while still at the University of Washington in 2013 and was required to have an Interlock Ignition Device installed. In addition to his DUI arrest early Friday morning, Seferian-Jenkins was also given a misdemeanor charge for violation of the court order to have the device, which would have forced him to pass a breathalyzer test to start the car.

On Friday, Seferian-Jenkins sent a brief tweet announcing his release from the Buccaneers at 1:59 p.m., a little more than 10 hours after his arrest at 3:42 a.m.

While he had stayed out of trouble off the field in Tampa Bay otherwise, Seferian-Jenkins hadn’t lived up to his draft hype. He struggled through injuries and caught just 42 passes in his first two seasons.

Still, there was optimism that he was putting things together and a big year was on the way under Dirk Koetter, even after he was kicked out of a practice by the new head coach. He was tagged as a potential breakout star for the Buccaneers, but caught just three passes in the first two games of the season, although it included a 30-yard touchdown grab in Week 1.

But the Buccaneers couldn’t patiently wait for the big talent of Seferian-Jenkins to finally come to fruition, especially after another DUI arrest.