Football is officially back, but not everyone will be hitting the field for the Tampa Bay Bucacneers in Week 1. We already knew about a few injuries, like Chris Godwin and Tristan Wirfs starting the year on the sideline but the late inactives list that came out ahead of Sunday's clash with the Falcons was even more less than ideal.
The Bucs will begin the season without two key defensive players: Christian Izien and rookie Benjamin Morrison.
It's not unfair to call Morrison a key player, as the Bucs used a premium pick on him in the NFL Draft this year and have plans for him to be a significant part of the secondary. We've yet to see him play a single snap, though, as the rookie missed all of the preseason with an injury.
We'll have to wait another week to see whether or not he can make his debut.
Another key loss is Christian Izien. It was feared that he might miss today's game but that was made official 90 minutes before kickoff. It subtracts two key players from the secondary but also further depletes Tampa Bay's defensive depth at a time when the team can't afford to not start the season hot.
Full inactives list for Tampa Bay Buccaneers for Week 1 vs. Falcons
While the Bucs will be shallow at cornerback, the rest of the inactives list is rather good news. Vita Vea popped up on the injury report late in the week but is a full-go for Week 1. Mike Evans also missed practice but that was due to him needing some rest, and he's set to suit up alongside rookie Emeka Egbuka against Atlanta.
Here's the rest of Tampa Bay's inactives ahead of Week 1:
Player | Position | Injury |
|---|---|---|
Tristan Wirfs | OT | Knee |
Chris Godwin | WR | Ankle |
Christian Izien | CB | Hamstring |
Benjamin Morrison | CB | Hamstring |
Devin Culp | TE | Healthy Scratch |
Josh Williams | RB | Healthy Scratch |
Kindle Vildor | CB | Healthy Scratch |
Jose Ramirez | LB | Healthy Scratch |
Not having Izien or Morrison isn't ideal but it'll give Jamel Dean a chance to start proving the doubters wrong. He's found himself on the wrong side of Bucs fans after back-to-back underwhelming seasons, and he's primed for a return to glory at exactly the right time.
It also gives recently re-signed rising start Zyon McCollum a chance to prove he's worth the money he just received on his new contract.
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