Category: Latest Team News

Jamel Dean injury vs. Panthers: Latest news on Bucs CB

The Bucs lose starting cornerback Jamel Dean against the Carolina Panthers with injuries to his knees.

Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean has been ruled out of the Bucs’ Week 17 matchup against the Carolina Panthers with injuries to his knees. Dean was limited in practice when coming into the game, with both knees appearing on the injury report.

Dean has battled injuries all season, spending most of November on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. When he is on the field, Dean is the the Bucs’ most experienced and most consistent cornerback.

Tampa Bay’s secondary overall has been beset by injuries, both throughout the season and coming into today. The Bucs are still without All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and just lost Christian Izien to injured reserve with a hamstring injury.

The Bucs lost their primary reserve cornerback Bryce Hall to a leg injury in Week 1 and have relied on second-year cornerback Josh Hayes and undrafted rookie Tyrek Funderburk. Hayes will likely fill in for Dean, but the Bucs’ pass rush will need to step up its game to prevent Panthers quarterback Bryce Young from exploiting the depleted secondary.

Bucs WR Mike Evans continues to move up all-time receiving ladder

Starring down the barrel of tying Rice’s record, it was clear that Baker Mayfield and the Bucs’ offensive game plan was to feed Evans.

Playing in the 11th season of his Hall of Fame career, Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans is at the point where everything he does moves him up the ladder as one of the NFL’s all-time great wide receivers.

As Sunday’s matchup with the Carolina Panthers got underway, Evans was 182 yards shy of tying the NFL’s greatest wide receiver of all time, Jerry Rice, by logging his 11th straight 1,000-yard season. Starring down the barrel of tying Rice’s record, it was clear that Baker Mayfield and the Bucs’ offensive game plan was to feed Evans.

Catching all three first-quarter targets, Evans registered his 11th 60+ reception season in as many years. In doing so, Evans tied with Jerry Rice, Derrick Mason, and Travis Kelce with the fourth-most consecutive 60-catch seasons in NFL history. What sets Evans apart from Rice, Mason, and Kelce is that the Buccaneers superstar wide receiver is the only player to accomplish such a feat every season to begin their career.

His two first-half touchdown receptions make things sweeter for the 11-year veteran, giving him 11 on the year. With the first touchdown, Evans totaled 10 on the season, giving him double-digit touchdown receptions for the sixth time in his career, the fifth-most in NFL history. Evans’s second touchdown of the day gave him the 24th multi-touchdown game in his career, tied for the sixth-most in NFL history.

Sterling Shepard injury update: Latest news on the Bucs WR

WR Sterling Shepard left the Bucs’ Sunday Night Football matchup with the Dallas Cowboys with a hamstring injury.

Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard has been ruled out of Tampa Bay’s Sunday Night Football matchup against the Dallas Cowboys with a hamstring injury. Shepard left the game in the third quarter after a 14-yard reception, after which Shepard left the field, grabbing the back of his leg.

 

Shepard has been a godsend to a Bucs receiving corps beset by injuries this season. After Chris Godwin was lost for the season and Mike Evans went down with his own hamstring injury, Shepard became Tampa Bay’s de facto WR1 until Evans’ return. This season, Shepard has 30 catches for 303 yards and a touchdown, adding seven carries for 55 yards.

With Shepard out, the Bucs will continue to lean on Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan to lead the receiver group. Shepard’s experience is not easily replaced, though Ryan Miller has come up big on a few plays in his first season with the Bucs. Second-year WR Rakim Jarrett should also see more work on offense.

Bucs OC Liam Coen addresses head coaching rumors

If Coen takes a head coaching job with another team, the Bucs will need to find their third new offensive coordinator in as many years.

As the NFL’s 2024 regular season winds down, so does the shortlist of head coaching candidates for teams opting to move on from their current coaching staff on the infamous “Black Monday” following the last game of the regular season. Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator Liam Coen’s name has been a mainstay on that list as the mastermind behind the Bucs high-powered offense, which ranks third overall.

If Coen takes a head coaching job with another team, the Bucs will need to find their third new offensive coordinator in as many years. However, addressing the rumors during yesterday’s press conference, the Buccaneers fans and organization may find solace in learning that Coen isn’t currently looking to move on from Tampa Bay anytime soon.

“There’s literally only one goal,” Coen said as the Bucs eye their fourth-straight NFC South division title. “There’s just no time in the day. I’ve got a kid at home, sick, throwing up last night. There’s just no time to even truly think about these things,” Coen told reporters when asked about the head coaching rumors. “Is that a goal? Is that a dream? Yeah, but that’s not at all what’s on my mind right now.”

The Buccaneers head into Dallas for a Week 16 bout with the Cowboys on Sunday Night Football, which is the one thing on Coen’s mind regarding football. “How are we going to try and score points and stop Micah Parsons in this game on Sunday Night Football? That’s truly one of the focuses and where it has to be, and you really don’t have enough time to think otherwise right now,” Coen stated.

While the Buccaneers have not secured a spot in the postseason yet, they do hold an 86% chance of doing so, along with 78% odds of winning the NFC South, per The Athletic’s Playoff Projections. With the battle for the NFC South as tight as ever with the Atlanta Falcons, the Bucs control their own destiny if they win out; however, the waters get muddied because the Falcons hold the head-to-head tiebreaker- should they finish with the same record. The good news for the Bucs is that they are favored in all three remaining games. The bad news is that two of three are division games, which are always tough.

Baseball fans saw what happens when a team gets hot at the right time with the Detroit Tigers just a few months ago. The same remains true in the NFL, as Coen is laser-focused on having his offense be the catalyst behind a potential seven-game winning streak to end the regular season.

Bucs provide update on Mike Edwards following injury against Panthers

Mike Edwards suffered a hamstring injury that saw him leave their game against the Panthers and now his status against the Raiders is clear.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been a revolving door of health issues in their secondary in 2024. They have signed several players as replacements, including Mike Edwards.

In Week 13, Mike Edwards suffered a hamstring injury that forced him to leave their game against the Panthers, and now his status against the Raiders is clear.

Jenna Laine of ESPN reported on Tuesday that Edwards is expected to be out at least a week with a Grade 1 hamstring strain. The Bucs saw Edwards as a potential playmaker in the defensive back room, and they have made a move to help replace his production.

The Bucs signed Kaevon Merriweather off the Detroit Lions practice squad. Merriweather had spent some time with the Bucs in 2024 before being waived and picked up by Detroit. He played in nine of the first ten games for the Bucs this season, mostly on special teams, but now he seems primed for an expanded role.

Jordan Whitehead injury vs. Giants: Latest news on Bucs S

TEAMA POSITION PLAYER NAME (ex Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa) is dealing with a [BLANK] injury. Here are the latest updates.

Buccaneers safety Jordan Whitehead was ruled out of Tampa Bay’s Week 12 matchup against the New York Giants with a pectoral injury. Whitehead tackled Giants quarterback Tommy DeVito just short of the endzone and immediately left the field while grabbing his chest.

Jordan Whitehead’s injury update

 

How long will Jordan Whitehead be out?

We are unsure of his status at the time of posting this and don’t want to speculate. Whenever a clavicle injury is reported, and a player is reported out quickly it usually means that it could be broken.

When we know more after testing and the medical team updating the media, we will share it with you here on Bucs Wire.

Safety depth chart

Whitehead has started every game for the Bucs this year, though his play has been uneven at times. Secondary depth has been an issue all year, but Tampa Bay just signed Mike Edwards, who was drafted by the Bucs in 2019. He will likely replace Whitehead, who is playing next to Antoine Winfield Jr.

Bucs set franchise record for rushing TDs vs Giants

Buccaneers running back Rachaad White found his way into the end zone to get the Bucs a 30-0 lead and allowed the record to be set.

Coming off a bye week and on the heels of a four-game losing streak, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were looking to make a statement against the New York Giants and keep their playoff hopes alive.

With 3:45 remaining in the third quarter, Buccaneers running back Rachaad White found his way into the end zone to get the Bucs a 30-0 lead. White’s touchdown would mark the Buccaneers’ fourth rushing touchdown of the day.

With White’s 1-yard score, the Buccaneers would set a franchise record with four rushing touchdowns scored by a different player. Baker Mayfield, Bucky Irving, Sean Tucker, and White all found paydirt against the Giants through the first three-quarters of the game. As of this writing, the Buccaneers have just 77 yards on the ground combined between the four players who have scored rushing touchdowns.

The Buccaneers are the only team to accomplish such a feat this season and the first since the New York Jets did so in 2022.

Joe Tryon-Shoyinka injury vs Giants: Latest news on Bucs LB

TEAMA POSITION PLAYER NAME (ex Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa) is dealing with a [BLANK] injury. Here are the latest updates.

(This story was updated to add new information.)

Buccaneers outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka left Tampa Bay’s Week 12 matchup against the New York Giants with an ankle injury and is questionable to return. He was seen heading to the locker room with team trainers.

Joe Tyron-Shoyinka injury update

The team announced that the former Washington Husky will be out for the remainder of the game.

Bucs LB depth chart and situation

While Tryon-Shoyinka has started for the Bucs all year, he has not been particularly effective. He recorded just two sacks this season and one tackle in today’s game before exiting. The Bucs already utilize a heavy rotation of their outside linebackers, but Tryon-Shoyinka’s exit will only mean more opportunities for rookie Chris Braswell and veteran Anthony Nelson.

Will Mike Evans play this week? Injury updates for Bucs WR

TEAMA POSITION PLAYER NAME (ex Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa) is dealing with a [BLANK] injury. Here are the latest updates.

Mike Evans has been missing ever since he suffered a severe aggravation of a lingering hamstring injury. He had injured it initially in Week 6 against the New Orleans Saints, but it went a step further after catching his 100th receiving touchdown in Week 7 against the Ravens.

Todd Bowles hinted that Evans may be coming back after the Bye Week, and we got an idea of his status during the Thursday injury report.

 Mike Evans injury update

On Wednesday, Evans was limited in practice but he did do some work which was a step forward. On Thursday, he was a full participant which leads everyone to believing we will see him return on Sunday against the Giants. Bowles shared that Evans was “trending” towards playing but quarterback Baker Mayfield gave the most reassuring news on his top target.

“From what I can see, good, and just [from] talking to him, he seems really positive about it. I mean, you guys know, Mike is a pro. He’s going to do everything he can to get back out there with us and fight for this team as we take it one game at a time.”

How long will Mike Evans be out?

Mike Evans is expected to play on Sunday against the New York Giants. Barring a major setback on Friday at practice, he should not miss any more time with this hamstring injury.

Bucs WR depth chart

  • Mike Evans
  • Trey Palmer
  • Jalen McMillan
  • Sterling Sheppard
  • Ryan Miller
  • Rakim Jarrett

Bucs QB Baker Mayfield comments on the health of Mike Evans

Evans has been dealing with a hamstring issue but coming out of the Bye Week, Baker Mayfield was asked about the health of his top target.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense is among the best in the NFL, but they are missing some key pieces. Mike Evans has been missing ever since he joined the 100-touchdown club in Week 7 of the season.

Evans has been dealing with a hamstring issue but coming out of the Bye Week, Baker Mayfield was asked about the health of his top target.

“From what I can see, good, and just [from] talking to him, he seems really positive about it. I mean, you guys know, Mike is a pro. He’s going to do everything he can to get back out there with us and fight for this team as we take it one game at a time.”

Evans was listed as being limited in practice on Wednesday, which is better than nothing. The offense has remained effective in his absence, but getting him back sooner rather than later is for the betterment of everyone.

The Bucs will need him if they hope to make a playoff run in the second half of their schedule.