Rakeem Nunez-Roches

Originally a 6th-round (217th pick overall) draft choice by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2015…Waived by Kansas City on Sept. 17, 2016…Signed to Kansas City's practice squad on Sept. 20, 2016…Elevated to the active roster on Oct. 18, 2016…Waived by Kansas City on May 8, 2018… Awarded off waivers to the Indianapolis Colts on May 11, 2018...Released by Indianapolis on Sept. 1, 2018…Signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 2, 2018…Signed as a free agent by the Giants on March 17, 2023.

TRANSACTIONS:

• Originally a 6th-round (217th pick overall) draft choice by the Kansas City Chiefs in 2015…Waived by Kansas City on Sept. 17, 2016…Signed to Kansas City's practice squad on Sept. 20, 2016…Elevated to the active roster on Oct. 18, 2016…Waived by Kansas City on May 8, 2018… Awarded off waivers to the Indianapolis Colts on May 11, 2018...Released by Indianapolis on Sept. 1, 2018…Signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Oct. 2, 2018…Signed as a free agent by the Giants on March 17, 2023.

CAREER HIGHLIGHTS:

• Has played in 118 regular-season games with 42 starts and 8 postseason games with 4 starts for Kansas City, Tampa Bay, and the Giants…Started at nose tackle in the Buccaneers' Super Bowl LV victory against the Chiefs…Career totals include 158 tackles (83 solo), 15 tackles for loss, 13 quarterback hits, 4.0 sacks, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery…In the playoffs, he has 10 tackles (2 solo), 2 tackles for loss and 5 quarterback hits.
• In 2023, played in 16 regular-season games with 4 starts…Inactive with a knee injury at Philadelphia (12/25)…Recorded 26 tackles (14 solo), one quarterback hit, one pass defensed, one tackle for loss, and a half-sack.
• Had 3 tackles (one solo) in his Giants debut vs. Dallas (9/10)…Tallied a season-high 4 tackles in consecutive appearances: one solo at New Orleans (12/17), and 3 solo and a half-sack vs. the Rams (12/31).
• In 2022, played in all 17 regular-season games with 10 starts and played in one postseason game for Tampa Bay…Totaled 33 tackles (19 solo), 5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, 3 quarterback hits, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery...Had 2 solo tackles, including a 9-yard sack of Matthew Stafford, vs. the Rams (11/6)…Tallied 4 tackles (3 solo), one of them a 9-yard sack of Jacoby Brissett, at Cleveland (11/27)…Made 2 tackles in the NFC Wild Card Game vs. Dallas (1/16).
• In 2021, played in 16 games with one start and played in 2 postseason games…Recorded 17 tackles (5 solo), 3 tackles for loss, one quarterback hit and one forced fumble, plus 4 tackles (2 solo), 2 forced fumbles and one quarterback hit in the playoffs.
• Recorded 2 tackles on 6 occasions – vs. Atlanta (9/19), at Washington (11/14), at Atlanta (12/5), vs. New Orleans (12/19), at the Jets (1/2) and vs. Carolina (1/9)…Played in the NFC Wild Card Game vs. Philadelphia (1/16)…Collected 4 tackles (2 solo) in the divisional round vs. the Rams (1/23).
• In 2020, played in all 16 regular-season games with 11 starts and started all 4 postseason games for the Super Bowl-winning Bucs…Tallied 20 tackles (7 solo) and 3 quarterback hits…Added 3 tackles and one quarterback hit in the playoffs.
• Made 2 tackles and a quarterback hit in the NFC Wild Card Game at Washington (1/9) and one stop in the divisional round at New Orleans (1/17)…Started, but did not record any statistics, in the NFC Championship Game at Green Bay (1/24) and in Super Bowl LV vs. Kansas City (2/7).
• In 2019, played in 16 games for Tampa Bay and recorded 9 tackles (5 solo) and a fumble recovery, while adding depth to the NFL's top-ranked run defense…Recorded first career fumble recovery vs. the Giants (9/22)…Logged 2 tackles, including one for loss, at the Rams (9/29)…Posted one tackle and a quarterback hit of Matt Ryan at Atlanta (11/24).
• In 2018, played in 3 games in his first season at Tampa Bay, recording 2 solo tackles…Recorded one solo tackle at Cincinnati (10/28) and at the Giants (11/18).
• In 2017, played in 16 games with 11 starts in his final season with Kansas City…Totaled 23 tackles (14 solo), a half-sack and one quarterback hit…Split a sack of quarterback Trevor Siemian with Bennie Logan vs. Denver (10/30)…Collected a season-high 5 tackles (2 solo) at Dallas (11/5).
• In 2016, played in 11 games with 5 starts for Kansas City…Tallied 23 tackles (14 solo), 5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack and 3 quarterback hits…Also played in one postseason game.
• Recorded 4 tackles, including 2 for loss, in his first career start, at Carolina (11/13)…Tallied a season-high 6 tackles at Denver (11/27)… Registered first career sack, of quarterback Derek Carr, vs. Oakland (12/8)…Credited with one tackle in the divisional round vs. Pittsburgh (1/15).
• As a rookie in 2015, played in 7 games for Kansas City and recorded 4 tackles…Made one tackle in his NFL debut at Minnesota (10/18).

COLLEGE:

• Played in 31 games in 4 seasons at Southern Mississippi…As a redshirt junior in 2014, started all 11 games and recorded 58 tackles (32 solo) with a team-high 14.0 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks...Credited with 7 quarterback hurries and a blocked kick...Made a season-high 11 tackles at UTEP…In 2013, started first 2 games of the season before being sidelined with a season-ending injury...Received a medical redshirt…Recorded 8 tackles (2 solo) and had a season-high 5 stops in the season-opener vs. Texas State…In 2012, played in all 12 games with 11 starts on the interior defensive line…Tallied 37 tackles (22 solo) with 6 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, forced one fumble and blocked one kick...Named honorable mention All-Conference USA…In 2011, played in 6 games and was selected to the conference's all-freshman team.

OFF-THE-FIELD ACTIVITY:

• Met with members from the Wounded Warriors Project during their visit to the Quest Diagnostics Training Center to watch practice and enjoy a day with the Giants…Participated in Jingle Jam, where he helped spread holiday joy to more than 500 New Jersey foster children by spending time with them and assisting with the gift distribution.

PERSONAL

• Majored in biological sciences and minored in chemistry…Full name is Rakeem Nathan Nunez-Roches…Prefers to be called "Nacho"…Son of Nancy Nunez... Tallied 132 career tackles, 17.0 sacks and 4 forced fumbles...Selected 2nd-team all-area by the Opelika-Auburn News and was an Alabama Top 50 player, ranking No. 39, by the Tuscaloosa News... In 2010, helped team finish 9-2 and capture the Region 3 6A Championship…Earned All-State accolades in basketball and voted best pitcher in baseball...Born in Dangriga, Belize.