Each week during the regular season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' communications department publishes a "Game Release" to aid the media in coverage of their upcoming game. Within that release are a number of documents regarding the player roster, including a depth chart, which lists the pecking order at every position on offense, defense and special teams.
Each game week, we will be taking a closer look at that depth chart, pointing out any changes or relevant notes from the previous game. Let's start on offense. Rookies are marked with an asterisk. Players we will be discussing in depth are highlighted in bold text.
OFFENSE
WR: Mike Evans, Trey Palmer
WR: Sterling Shepard, Ryan Miller
LT: Tristan Wirfs, Justin Skule
LG: Ben Bredeson, Royce Newman
C: Graham Barton *, Robert Hainsey
RG: Cody Mauch, Elijah Klein *
RT: Luke Goedeke
WR: Jalen McMillan *, Rakim Jarrett
TE: Cade Otton, Payne Durham, Ko Kieft, Devin Culp *
QB: Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask
RB: Rachaad White, Bucky Irving *, Sean Tucker
View the top photos of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' regular season Week 9 game vs. the Kansas City Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
Bucs vs. Chiefs
(On the practice squad: WR Marquez Callaway, OL Luke Haggard, WR Dennis Houston, WR Tanner Knue, OL Lorenz Metz, T Raiqwon O'Neal, QB Michael Pratt, TE Tanner Taula, RB D.J. Williams)
The Buccaneers were without their three Week One starters at wide receiver (Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan) on Monday night in Kansas City but they still started the game in a three-receiver package. Those three were Ryan Miller, Trey Palmer and Rakim Jarrett. Miller has started each of the last two games in place of the injured Evans, and on Monday he logged a career-high 34 offensive snaps out of 55. Miller scored on a one-yard catch near the end of regulation to send the game into overtime. Rakim Jarrett actually led all Bucs receivers in offensive snaps with 46, and finished the game with one catch for nine yards. Veteran Sterling Shepard did not start and was on the field for 33 of the 55 snaps but finished as the team's leading pass-catcher among wideouts with four for 48.
Tight end Cade Otton emulated the 2023 version of himself in which he virtually never missed an offensive snap. In this case, he played all but one of the Bucs' 55 snaps while leading the team with eight catches for 77 yards and one touchdown. He has now caught at least eight passes for at least 75 yards in three consecutive games, tied for the second-longest streak by a tight end in NFL history. The Buccaneers made relatively frequent use of two-TE sets, as Payne Durham also logged 16 snaps on offense.
DEFENSE
DL: Calijah Kancey, Earnest Brown, C.J. Brewer
NT: Vita Vea, Greg Gaines
DL: Logan Hall, William Gholston
OLB: Yaya Diaby, Anthony Nelson
ILB: K.J. Britt, J.J. Russell
ILB: Lavonte David, Antonio Grier
OLB: Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, Chris Braswell *, Jose Ramirez
CB: Tyrek Funderburk *, Keenan Isaac
CB: Zyon McCollum, Josh Hayes
S: Antoine Winfield Jr., Christian Izien, Tavierre Thomas
S: Jordan Whitehead, Tykee Smith *, Kaevon Merriweather
(On the practice squad: S Marcus Banks, CB Dallis Flowers, DL Mike Greene, OLB Daniel Grzesiak, CB Troy Hill, LB Vi Jones, S Rashad Wisdom)
Second-year cornerback Josh Hayes made his first career start, opening the game opposite Zyon McCollum. Hayes was briefly knocked out of the game with cramps but eventually played 72 of a possible 85 defensive snaps while contributing six tackles, a pass defensed and a fumble recovery. Safety Tykee Smith returned from a one-game absence due to a concussion and stepped right back into the slot corner role. That kept him on the field for most of the night, as he played 72 defensive snaps while recording nine tackles, a pass defensed and a forced fumble.
Linebacker Vi Jones was elevated from the practice squad for Monday's game, presumably to fill a role on defense in obvious passing downs, but he gained only three defensive snaps, making one tackle. It was fellow linebacker J.J. Russell who saw an uptick in playing time, as he was on the field for 31 plays against Kansas City's offense. He had played a total of 17 defensive snaps over the Bucs' first eight games.
Defensive linemen Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey didn't come off the field often, even with the game stretching to five quarters and 85 plays for the Chiefs' offense. Vea played 60 of those snaps and Kancey played 58, and both finished the game with a pair of sacks. It was the first multi-sack game of Kancey's career.
SPECIALISTS
P: Trenton Gill
PK: Chase McLaughlin
KO: Trenton Gill
H: Trenton Gill
LS: Zach Triner
PR: Trey Palmer, Jalen McMillan*
KR: Bucky Irving*
KR: Sean Tucker, Trey Palmer
(On the practice squad: P Jack Browning)
Running back Bucky Irving went back to his role as one of the two deep men on kickoff return after being spelled in Week Eight by Jarrett. Irving returned the opening kickoff of the second half 46 yards to kick start a 51-yard touchdown drive that put the Bucs ahead, 14-10.
In addition to his increased role on offense, Russell played 22 of the Bucs' 28 snaps on special teams and had the only kick-coverage tackle. Outside linebacker Anthony Nelson continued to be a special teams iron man, playing 26 of those 28 snaps, while defensive backs Kaevon Merriweather and Tavierre Thomas logged 24 plays apiece.
