The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have 90 active players on the roster to begin their 2024 training camp, but two of them will be sidelined when practices kick off on July 24. On Tuesday, the Buccaneers placed rookie quarterback Zack Annexstad and first-year tight end Tanner Taula on the active/non-football injury list.
Players on the active/NFI list still count against the preseason roster limit and can be activated and returned to action at any time. The purpose of placing a player on that list prior to the start of training camp is to maintain the option of later moving them to the reserve/NFI list to start the regular season.
The Buccaneers signed Annexstad as a rookie free agent after the draft this spring but he was unable to take part in any of the team's offseason workouts due to a shoulder injury suffered in his final season at Illinois State. Taula, who coincidentally was Annexstad's teammate at Illinois State, is dealing with a leg injury suffered away from the practice field.
Annexstad is the first undrafted rookie quarterback the Buccaneers have brought to training camp since Reid Sinnett in 2020. The Bucs only carried three quarterbacks in last year's camp, the same three that are back for 2024: Baker Mayfield, Kyle Trask and John Wolford. With Taula temporarily sidelined, the Bucs will have five tight ends to cover practice in Cade Otton, Ko Kieft, Payne Durham, David Wells and seventh-round draft pick Devin Culp.
Annexstad split his college playing days between Minnesota and Illinois State. Over the past two seasons he compiled 3,547 passing yards, 27 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. Taula signed with Tampa Bay as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and spent his entire rookie season on the team's practice squad. He played five seasons for the Redbirds and recorded 63 receptions for 627 yards and four touchdowns.
