Sept 30 Updates
Tampa Bay's injury report on Thursday was largely unchanged, and that meant cornerback Jamel Dean remained limited on the practice field. The Buccaneers are already without starting cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting and don't necessarily expect the newly-signed Richard Sherman to step right into heavy action on Sunday night.
In addition, tight end Rob Gronkowski missed a second straight practice due to a ribs injury. The Buccaneers are hoping Gronkowski can suit up Sunday against his former team at Gillette Stadium.
CLICK HERE for a more detailed look at the Bucs' second injury report of the week.
Wide receiver Antonio Brown will be available to play in Sunday night's game at New England after being activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list. He missed one game while on that list, the Bucs loss at Los Angeles last Sunday. Brown's return helps out a receiving corps that just lost speedster Scotty Miller to injured reserve.
The Buccaneers also activated wide receiver Travis Jonsen from the practice squad/COVID list. That means he once again counts against the 16-man limit, so the Bucs also released guard Jonathan Hubbard to make room.
CLICK HERE for more details on Thursday's transactions.
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Sept 29 Updates
The Buccaneers gave their secondary a much-needed "insurance policy" on Wednesday by signing five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Richard Sherman. Sherman took part in his first practice as a Buccaneer that morning and later said he brings leadership, accountability and a high standard of play to the team's defense.
Tampa Bay is currently playing without starting cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting, who is on injured reserve due to an elbow injury suffered in the season opener. In addition, cornerback Jamel Dean was limited in practice Wednesday with a knee injury that knocked him out of last Sunday's game at Los Angeles. However, both Sherman and Head Coach Bruce Arians seem to feel that the Bucs' new cornerback is more likely to make his defensive debut in Week Five against Miami.
CLICK HERE for more details on the signing of Richard Sherman. CLICK HERE for more of his thoughts on joining a new team.
Tight end Rob Gronkowski did not practice on Wednesday due to a ribs injury suffered in Sunday's game in Los Angeles. Gronkowski did return to action after suffering that injury, following X-rays that showed no fractures. Gronkowski was one of three Bucs not to take part in the week's opening practice, along with running back Giovani Bernard and outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul.
Gronkowski leads the team with four touchdown receptions and, like Tom Brady, is about to make his first return to Gillette Stadium as an opposing player.
CLICK HERE for more on the Buccaneers' Wednesday injury report.
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Sept 28 Updates
The Buccaneers' Week Four list of protected practice squad players reflects the team's uncertainty at the cornerback position right now. With starter Sean Murphy-Bunting already on injured reserve, the potential absence of Jamel Dean with a knee injury could leave the Bucs short at the position heading into New England. As such, both Pierre Desir and Rashard Robinson were protected this week, meaning they can't be signed away by another team until after Sunday night's contest.
The Buccaneers also protected kicker Jose Borregales and tight end Deon Yelder. Both Yelder and Robinson were elevated from the practice squad last Sunday and saw action on special teams against the Rams.
CLICK HERE for more on the Week Four protections.
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Sept 27 Updates
Inside linebacker Kevin Minter came off the reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday, exactly one week after he went on it. The Buccaneers didn't have to make any corresponding moves on the 53-man roster because they never filled Minter's spot when he was on the reserve list. The team is still waiting for the return of wide receiver Antonio Brown, who went on the same list as Minter but two days later last week.
CLICK HERE for more on Minter's return to the active roster.
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Sept 25 Updates
On Saturday, the Buccaneers elevated TE Deon Yelder and CB Rashard Robinson from the practice, designating both as COVID-19 replacements. The Bucs had those two replacement options because WR Antonio Brown and ILB Kevin Minter are currently on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
The Buccaneers will now have 53 available players on Sunday against the Los Angeles Rams, at least technically. Outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul and wide receiver Jaydon Mickens did not make the trip due to injuries and will be among the players named inactive for the game.
CLICK HERE for more on Saturday's practice squad elevations.
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Sept 24 Updates
Head Coach Bruce Arians announced after practice on Friday that neither outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul nor wide receiver/kick returner Jaydon Mickens would travel with the team to Los Angeles on Saturday. Pierre-Paul will miss Sunday's game against the Rams due to hand and shoulder injuries and Mickens has been ruled out due to an abdomen injury.
With Pierre-Paul sidelined, the Buccaneers will give more playing time to rookie Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and third-year player Anthony Nelson. Arians did not announce who would start opposite Shaquil Barrett in Pierre-Paul's absence, though Tryon-Shoyinka logged 40 defensive snaps in the first two weeks to 21 for Nelson.
Arians also said it was "very questionable" that wide receiver Antonio Brown would come off the reserve/COVID-19 list in time to play against the Rams. Without Mickens and Brown, rookie wide receiver Jaelon Darden will likely get his first chance to play after being inactive for the first two games. Darden could also fill in for Mickens on punt and kickoff return.
CLICK HERE for more how the Buccaneers will adjust to the absences of Pierre-Paul, Mickens and (probably) Brown. CLICK HERE for more on the Bucs' final injury report of Week Three.
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Sept 23 Updates
WR Jaydon Mickens (abdomen) and outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul (hand/shoulder) remained out of practice on Thursday, keeping their availability for Sunday's game in Los Angeles in doubt. If Pierre-Paul is unable to play, the Buccaneers would look for increased contributions from rookie Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and third-year player Anthony Nelson. Tryon-Shoyinka has played roughly one quarter of the team's defensive snaps through the first two games of the season.
CLICK HERE for the Buccaneers' injury report.
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Sept 22 Updates
Only two players sat out the Buccaneers' first practice of the week, with outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul dealing with hand and shoulder injuries and wide receiver Jaydon Mickens sidelined by an abdomen injury. Of course, that does not include the two Buccaneers on the reserve/COVID-19 list: wide receiver Antonio Brown and inside linebacker Kevin Minter.
CLICK HERE for the Wednesday injury report.
For the second week in a row, two Buccaneers were recipients of player of the week awards. Safety Mike Edwards, the first NFL player with two pick-sixes in the fourth quarter of a game since 1992, was named the NFC Defensive Player of the Week. It was the first such award for Edwards and the first defensive honor for a Tampa Bay player this year.
In addition, Tom Brady was voted the FedEx Air Player of the Week for the second time in as many 2021 games. This time he was rewarded for throwing five touchdown passes and no interceptions in the Bucs' 48-25 win over Atlanta. Brady leads the NFL with nine touchdown passes.
CLICK HERE for more details on Edwards' award. CLICK HERE for more on Tom Brady's award.
Wide receiver Antonio Brown was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list on Wednesday. The news was released midway through the Buccaneers' first practice in preparation for Sunday's upcoming game against the Rams in Los Angeles. The timing of Brown's placement on the list makes it unlikely that he will be available to play in that game.
Brown is the third player the Bucs have placed on a COVID list this week. On Monday, inside linebacker Kevin Minter went on the reserve/COVID-19 list and wide receiver Travis Jonsen went on the practice squad/COVID list.
CLICK HERE for more details on Wednesday's roster move and where the Bucs' receiving corps stands.
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Sept 21 Updates
The Bucs filled their practice squad back to the limit of 16 players by signing wide receiver John Hurst and cornerback Rashard Robinson. The team used one if its six veteran options for the practice squad on Robinson, who has played for three other teams and has appeared in 42 regular season games with 18 starts.
Hurst originally entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent with the Buccaneers in 2020 and he went to camp in Tampa last summer. He was most recently with the Chargers, catching two passes during the preseason.
CLICK HERE for more details on the practice squad additions on Tuesday.
The Buccaneers used all four of their practice squad protections again in Week Three, including one on rookie kicker Jose Borregales for the second week in a row. The other four went to cornerback Pierre Desir, safety Troy Warner and tight end Deon Yelder.
CLICK HERE for more information regarding the Week Three protections.
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Sept 20 Updates
For the first time since the regular season began, the Buccaneers have had to place players on the COVID lists. Inside linebacker Kevin Minter, a core special teams player and top reserve at his position, was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list while wide receiver Travis Jonsen landed on the practice squad/COVID-19 list. Fully vaccinated players can return to action if they are asymptomatic and they return two negative tests 24 hours apart.
CLICK HERE for more details on Minter and Jonsen.
The Buccaneers signed outside linebacker Elijah Ponder to the practice squad on Monday. He filled an open spot created when the Green Bay Packers signed outside linebacker Ladarius Hamilton to their active roster last Friday. The Bucs also released cornerback Herb Miller from the practice squad on Monday. That move plus the placement of Travis Jonsen on the practice squad/COVID-19 list means there are two spots to fill on that 16-man unit.
CLICK HERE for more details on Monday's practice squad moves.
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Sept 17 Updates
After further examinations and a second opinion on Sean Murphy-Bunting's elbow, it was determined that the third-year cornerback will not need surgery to repair the injury. Murphy-Bunting dislocated the elbow late in the first quarter of the Week One win over Dallas. Head Coach Bruce Arians is now hopeful that Murphy-Bunting will be able to return to game action during the 2021 season though he does not have any sort of timetable for that return yet.
CLICK HERE for more on Sean Murphy-Bunting's status and other end-of-week notes.
The Buccaneers added starting cornerback Carlton Davis to their injury report on Friday due to a hamstring strain and are considering him questionable to play on Sunday against Atlanta. Davis was the only player with a game status designation, meaning everyone else on the list is cleared for action on Sunday, including starting safety Jordan Whitehead. Whitehead missed the opener against Dallas with a hamstring injury of his own.
CLICK HERE for a closer look at Tampa Bay's final injury report of Week Two.
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Sept 16 Updates
Only two players did not join in Tampa Bay's Thursday practice, which was held inside the team's indoor facility: outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul and defensive lineman Steve McLendon. Pierre-Paul has a hand injury and was limited on Wednesday before getting the next day off. McLendon was simply given a veteran rest day.
CLICK HERE for more information on Thursday's injury report.
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Sept 15 Updates
Tampa Bay's first injury report for Week Two was encouraging, with only four players listed and only outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul (hand) limited in practice. Most notably, starting safety Jordan Whitehead was a full participant in practice after missing roughly three weeks with a hamstring strain. Head Coach Bruce Arians said Whitehead was at "full speed" in practice on Wednesday and was ready to go for Sunday's game.
CLICK HERE for more details on the Buccaneers' Week Two injury situation.
Tampa Bay quarterback Tom Brady won the FedEx Air Player of the Week for Week One, marking the 13th time he's taken that particular award. He also was the Air Player of the Week for the 2020 season finale, so he's on a bit of a roll. Brady threw for 379 yards and four touchdowns in Tampa Bay's 31-29 thriller over the Cowboys last Thursday.
Brady beat out his opposing quarterback in Week One, the Cowboys' Dak Prescott, in the Air Player of the Week voting. Kansas City star Patrick Mahomes was also nominated.
CLICK HERE for more details on Brady's most recent accolade.
Buccaneers punter Bradley Pinion was named the NFC Special Teams Player of the Week on Wednesday for his outstanding performance in the team's win over Dallas in Week One. Pinion dropped three of his four punts inside the Cowboys' 10, including a 65-yarder that he angled out of bounds at the two-yard line, and also produced six touchbacks on six kickoffs. This is the second time that Pinion has won the player of the week award, also nabbing one as a 49ers in 2018.
CLICK HERE for more details on Bradley Pinion winning NFC Special Teams Player of the Week.
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Sept 14 Updates
The Buccaneers submitted their list of protected practice squad players to the NFL on Tuesday afternoon. Among them is cornerback Herb Miller, who could be a candidate for a game day elevation in Week Two after Sean Murphy-Bunting landed on injured reserve. The Bucs also protected kicker Jose Borregales, tackle Brandon Walton and tight end Deon Yelder.
CLICK HERE for more details on the Week Two practice squad protections.
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Sept 13 Updates
The Buccaneers made a series of roster moves on Monday, unfortunately headlined by the placement of cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting and long-snapper Zach Triner on injured reserve. Both are eligible to return to the active roster in 2021 but neither has a set timeline yet. The Buccaneers promoted safety Andrew Adams to the active roster from the practice squad and filled their open long-snapper position by signing former Jaguar Carson Tinker.
The promotions of Adams and, the previous week, wide receiver Jaydon Mickens left the Bucs with two open spots on the 16-man practice squad, and those were filled by the signings of cornerback Pierre Desir and safety Chris Cooper.
CLICK HERE for more on all the Bucs' Monday roster moves.
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Sept 11 Updates
The Buccaneers didn't waste time filling the open spot on their 53-man roster, promoting wide receiver Jaydon Mickens from the practice squad on Saturday. Mickens had played in the season opener as an elevation from the practice squad, and his strong outing in the return game apparently prompted the Bucs to bring him back to the active roster.
The Bucs had opened that spot on Friday by waiving first-year safety Chris Cooper.
CLICK HERE for more details on the promotion of Mickens from the practice squad.
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Sept 10 Updates
The Bucs waived first-year safety Chris Cooper on Friday, the day after their opening-night win over the Dallas Cowboys. Cooper was one of seven players named inactive for that game.
No other move was announced on Friday so the Bucs will head into the weekend with an open spot on their 53-man roster.
CLICK HERE for more on Friday's roster move.
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Sept 9 Updates
The Buccaneers used the practice squad elevation rule introduced in 2020 to bring up safety Andrew Adams and wide receiver Jaydon Mickens for Thursday night's 2021 season opener against Dallas. That increased the pool of available players for the Bucs to 55 (though safety Jordan Whitehead has been ruled out). Adams and Mickens could play against the Cowboys if they are kept among the 47 or 48 active players for the game.
CLICK HERE for more detailed information on the Bucs' Week One practice squad elevations.
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Sept 8 Updates
The Buccaneers' finally injury report of the week lists starting safety Jordan Whitehead as out for Thursday night's Kickoff Game against the Cowboys, as was expected. Whitehead has not practiced for several weeks due to a hamstring injury.
Otherwise, the Buccaneers' Week One injury report is good news. The other six players on the report are all cleared to play against the Cowboys.
CLICK HERE for a closer look at Wednesday's injury report.
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The Buccaneers signed rookie kicker Jose Borregales to the practice squad on Wednesday after he cleared waivers. The team had initially kept Borregales on the 53-man roster while veteran kicker Ryan Succop was on the reserve/COVID-19 list but Succop has since been activated. Borregales was waived on Monday when the team also activated Ndamukong Suh from the COVID list.
Borregales fills the 16th and final spot on the Bucs' Week One practice squad. He played in all three preseason games and was 1-2 on both field goals and extra point tries, with both misses blocked.
CLICK HERE for more on the addition of Jose Borregales to the practice squad.
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Sept 7 Updates
Wide receiver Chris Godwin was added to the Bucs' injury report on Tuesday, as he was limited in practice with a quad issue. However, after practice Head Coach Bruce Arians said that the only player currently out for Thursday's game is safety Jordan Whitehead and that the rest of the players were "ready to roll."
The Buccaneers also gave veteran rest days on Tuesday to tight end Rob Gronkowski, defensive lineman Steve McLendon and outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul.
CLICK HERE for a more detailed look at the Tuesday injury reports for the Buccaneers and Cowboys.
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Sept 6 Updates
Safety Jordan Whitehead was the only player who was held out when the Buccaneers released their first injury report of 2021. Whitehead is recovering from a hamstring injury that has kept him out of action since mid-August. If Whitehead is unavailable on Thursday night, which appears likely, Mike Edwards will start in his place. Whitehead started all 20 games for the Buccaneers in 2020, including the playoffs, though he played through a shoulder injury late in the postseason and subsequently had surgery in the offseason.
CLICK HERE for more on the Buccaneers' first official injury report of 2021.
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The Buccaneers announced their 2021 team captains on Monday...and they're the same six as in 2020.
Tom Brady and Mike Evans are the captains on offense, Lavonte David and Devin White get the "C" jerseys on defense and Bradley Pinion and Kevin Minter repeat their captaincies on special teams. Captains are chosen by a vote among the players and this is the eighth straight season that David has been awarded a "C" on his jersey. Evans is now in his fifth straight year as a captain.
CLICK HERE for more on the Bucs' selections of their captains for 2021.
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Defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh was activated from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Monday, the last of four players to return after going on that list prior to the preseason finale in Houston. The Buccaneers waived rookie kicker Jose Borregales in order to make room for Suh on the 53-man roster.
Suh is now cleared to play in Thursday's season opener against Dallas, where he will help the Buccaneers' defense try to contain power back Ezekiel Elliott. Suh has been at the heart of a Bucs run defense that ranked first in the NFL in each of the last two seasons. He also contributed 6.0 sacks in 2020, his highest total since 2015.
CLICK HERE for more on Suh's return from the COVID list.
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Sept 5 Updates
The Buccaneers activated guard Earl Watford from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Sunday but then immediately placed him on the injured reserve list. Thus, no other move was necessary on the 53-man roster.
Watford re-signed with the Buccaneers in mid-August after the team experienced a rash of offensive line injuries in training camp. He was also on the Bucs' practice squad for the Super Bowl and he played the 2019 season in Tampa, making four starts.
CLICK HERE for more on the moves regarding Earl Watson.
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Sept 3 Updates
Tampa Bay activated first-year guard Nick Leverett from the reserve/COVID-19 list on Friday and placed outside linebacker Cam Gill on injured reserve.
Though it was delayed by a few days by COVID, Leverett managed to earn a spot on the 53-man roster with his impressive display of versatility during training camp and the preseason. Leverett originally signed with the Buccaneers as a guard and an undrafted rookie in 2020 but has since seen extensive playing time at left tackle. He also got a crash course in playing center midway through camp and actually started the second preseason game at that spot. Gill initially made the active roster but went on IR due to a calf injury; he will be eligible to return after at least three weeks on that list.
CLICK HERE for more details on the Leverett and Gill moves.
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Sept 2 Updates
As they returned to the practice field after a four-day 'mini-bye,' the Buccaneers activated kicker Ryan Succop from the reserve/COVID-19 list. The veteran kicker stabilized a troublesome position for the Buccaneers in 2020, making 37 of his 40 field goal tries, including the postseason.
The Buccaneers also filled five of their remaining six practice squad spots on Thursday, with one of them going to returning safety Andrew Adams. Adams played the past three seasons for the Buccaneers but had left in the 2021 offseason to sign with the Philadelphia Eagles. The Bucs eagerly brought him back after he was released by Philadelphia in the league-wide roster cuts.
CLICK HERE for more on Ryan Succop's activation and various practice squad signings. CLICK HERE for more on the practice squad signing of running back Darwin Thompson.
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Sept 1 Updates
One day after trimming their roster to the regular-season limit of 53 players, the Buccaneers began the process of forming their initial practice squad of 2021. Among the nine players signed to that unit on Wednesday was veteran quarterback Ryan Griffin. Griffin had been on Tampa Bay's active roster for each of the past six seasons but was waived on Tuesday as the Bucs elected to keep rookie second-rounder Kyle Trask along with Tom Brady's primary backup, Blaine Gabbert.
Wide receivers Travis Jonsen and Cyril Grayson were also among the nine players signed to the practice squad on Wednesday.
CLICK HERE for more on the Bucs' first practice squad signings of 2021.
