The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are expected to sign Edmonton Elks’ punter Jake Julien to a reserve/future contract, sources have confirmed to 3DownNation.
The Elks released Julien on Wednesday in order to pursue NFL opportunities. He worked out for the Buccaneers on December 10 and will travel to officially sign with the team early next week.
The six-foot-two, 217-pound specialist punted 107 times for 5,773 yards this past season, leading the CFL in gross average (54.0 yards) and net average (40.0 yards). That broke the league’s single-season gross punting record of 50.6 set by future Super Bowl champion Jon Ryan in 2005. Julien also tied for the league lead with eight punts inside the 10-yard line and recorded 15 singles, including a memorable game-winner in overtime.
The native of Barrie, Ont. was originally selected by the Ottawa Redblacks in the fourth round of the 2021 CFL Draft. He chose to return to school for his final year of eligibility at Eastern Michigan University and signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent in 2022 but was released in training camp.
Julien played five NCAA seasons for the Eagles, punting 221 times in 54 games and averaging 44 yards per attempt. He pinned opponents inside their 20-yard line 71 times in his career with 51 punts traveling over 50 yards. Julien was named second-team All-Mid-American Conference as a senior.
The Buccaneers were one of at least six NFL teams to work out Julien since the CFL season ended, including the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers, New York Jets, New York Giants, and Minnesota Vikings. The Elks will retain his exclusive CFL rights through February 2026.