Another year, another flurry of injuries impacting the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ secondary.
Antoine Winfield Jr. has been held out of practice strictly as a precaution while dealing with hamstring tightness. While the team says it’s precautionary, it’s still concerning to see Winfield already facing a health issue after his 2024 season was derailed by injuries.
J.J. Roberts, one of the stars of training camp, was on his way to earning a roster spot as an undrafted rookie following a strong preseason debut against the Tennessee Titans.
Head coach Todd Bowles has praised Roberts’ versatility as he’s cross-trained at nickel cornerback and both safety spots. But the promising rookie left joint practice with the Pittsburgh Steelers with a knee injury, and according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times, the injury may be serious.
With two safeties already battling potential injuries, the door is wide open for Shilo Sanders to make a push for the 53-man roster, especially if Roberts is sidelined for an extended period of time.
Outside of Roberts, Sanders is competing with fellow depth pieces Kaevon Merriweather and Rashad Wisdom for a roster spot.
Christian Izien is also a backup safety, but Bowles has already declared that Izien has secured a roster spot, leaving fewer openings for the rest of the group.
Sanders will have Saturday’s preseason game against Pittsburgh and next week’s preseason finale against Buffalo to turn in performances the coaching staff can’t ignore.
In his NFL debut against the Titans, Sanders recorded one tackle and a quarterback hit. If nothing else, he showcased his physicality, delivering punishing hits on both plays.
With the current injury situation thinning the safety room, Sanders should see more playing time. He’ll need to make plays to convince the coaching staff to keep him over Merriweather and Wisdom, both of whom are currently ahead of him on the depth chart.
But don’t count Sanders out. He has the support of the fan base, and if he can string together strong performances over the next two weeks, he could generate the momentum needed to earn a spot on the final roster.