At this time of the year, every team is banged up. The real key is recovery during the week to get as many players ready to go by gameday. For the Bucs, everything seems to be trending in the right direction at the right time. They’re on a three-game winning streak and find themselves getting healthier down the stretch.
“I think everybody is getting better – everybody is trending forward,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said Wednesday. “Right now, everybody is in play to play.”
Tampa Bay conducted a walk-through on Wednesday, but there was still some positive news to take away as far as who was available for practice. In fact, everyone was available in some capacity, with no one receiving a designation below “limited participation.”
Bucs Have Several Starters On Their Way Back To Full Health
The Bucs have some starting players dealing with injuries heading into Week 16, though as Bowles said, things are trending in the right direction. Cornerback Carlton Davis (groin) missed Week 15’s win over the Packers, but he was a full participant in the walk-through on Wednesday.
Ryan Neal (back) is another member of the secondary who is trending positively, as he was also a full participant on Wednesday.
For all of the conversations about Devin White’s status with the team and the situation surrounding his inactive status in Green Bay, White did fully participate in Wednesday’s walk-through.
The fifth-year linebacker has been working his way back from a foot injury that has kept him out for weeks, but both he and Bowles indicated that he could be ready for Sunday’s game against the Jaguars. Bowles called him a “full-go,” while White said he is “feeling better.” Whether that means he’ll suit up and start against Jacksonville remains to be seen.
Two Tampa Bay Starters Limited On Walk-Through Wednesday
Chris Godwin (knee) was a limited participant in Wednesday’s walk-through. He was limited at points during last week’s practices too, though, so his statuses on Thursday and Friday will be more important to watch. At least as of now, there shouldn’t be any reason to truly worry about his availability on Christmas Eve against the Jaguars.
On the other side of the ball, Vita Vea (toe) is still banged-up and found himself limited in Wednesday’s walk-through. Vea has dealt with a variety of injuries throughout the year and has largely managed to overcome them. He’s played in 12 of the team’s 14 games despite being a fixture on the injury report each week. Even last week against Green Bay, he went from doubtful for the game to playing in it, so he’s another one whose statuses near the end of the week are more important than his status for the Wednesday walk-through.
Bucs Designate Rookie Wide Receiver For Return From Injured Reserve
Early Wednesday, the Bucs designated rookie wide receiver Rakim Jarrett for a return from injured reserve. The 2023 undrafted free agent was placed on I.R. on Nov. 22, but has made a quick return from his quadriceps injury. While he just begun his 21-day practice window, he actually came right off injured reserve to participate fully on Wednesday.
In 10 games this season, Jarrett has four catches for 60 yards. His big highlight was a 41-yard reception in the loss to San Francisco. Unfortunately, that was the game that saw him pick up the injury that cost him the last four games.
It’ll be interesting to see how Jarrett figures into the Tampa Bay offense, which may be inclined to favor veteran David Moore as the No. 3 wide receiver after his 52-yard touchdown catch against the Packers last week. Rookie Trey Palmer and second-year receiver Deven Thompkins will also be competing with Moore and Jarrett for snaps behind top receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin.
Bucs Wednesday Injury Report
Here is the full injury report from the Bucs’ walk-through on Wednesday:
Carlton Davis – Groin – Full Participation
Will Gholston – Knee/Ankle – Limited Participation
Chris Godwin – Knee – Limited Participation
Josh Hayes – Illness – Full Participation
Rakim Jarrett – Quadriceps – Full Participation
Ryan Neal – Back – Full Participation
Vita Vea – Toe – Limited Participation
Devin White – Foot – Full Participation
Jaguars Wednesday Injury Report
Everyone’s eyes are on Jaguars quarterback Trevor Lawrence this week, as he was banged up with an ankle injury the last few weeks before entering concussion protocol after the team’s loss to the Ravens on Sunday night. Here is Jacksonville’s full injury report from Wednesday:
C.J. Beathard – Left Shoulder – Full Participation
Christian Braswell – Hamstring – Limited Participation
Tyson Campbell – Quadriceps – Limited Participation.
Andre Cisco – Groin – Limited Participation
Ezra Cleveland – Knee – Limited Participation
Zay Jones – Knee/Hamstring – Did Not Participate
Trevor Lawrence – Ankle/Concussion – Did Not Participate
Walker Little – Hamstring – Limited Participation
Brenton Strange – Foot – Limited Participation