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Agrees to one-year extension with Bucs
Wed, Aug 19, 2026, 5:53 PM
Vea (back) and the Buccaneers reached an agreement on a one-year, $30 million extension Wednesday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Analysis: Vea, who is now under contract with the team through the 2027 season, made a trade request at the start of training camp, likely eyeing his AAV at the time ($17.75 million, or 19th most among interior defensive linemen). Per Jenna Laine of ESPN.com, Tampa Bay had no plans to trade Vea, though teams had checked in on the situation multiple times over the last few weeks, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports. With Vea's new deal in place, the new money value of $30 million would rank fifth in AAV at his position in the NFL. |
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Won't play Saturday
Wed, Aug 19, 2026, 5:28 PM
McCollum (groin) will not play in Saturday's preseason game against the Chiefs, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
Analysis: McCollum has missed the last week of practice with a persisting groin issue, iHeartRadio reports. The Buccaneers want the cornerback to focus on a full recovery, and as such, any chance of suiting up for Saturday's game has vanished. Fellow starting cornerback Benjamin Morrison also may not play in the contest, leaving Damarion Williams and Josh Hayes as the most likely recipients of the starting snap share. |
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Goes to Bucs' IR
Tue, Aug 18, 2026, 7:32 PM
Banks (undisclosed) reverted from waivers to Tampa Bay's injured reserve list Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Analysis: Banks went unclaimed on waivers after getting cut with an undisclosed injury Monday, and now he's bound to spend the entire 2026 campaign on the Buccaneers' injured reserve list. He was available for three games in 2025, playing exclusively on special teams. |
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Absent with knee issue
Tue, Aug 18, 2026, 6:58 PM
Schrauth (knee) did not participate in Tuesday's practice, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
Analysis: Schrauth sprained his knee in early August. The guard remains sidelined with a brace and it is unclear when he will return to the field. The rookie fifth-rounder will not have much time to make his case for the 53-man roster once he regains his health, so he is a strong candidate for season-ending injured reserve. |
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Kadarius Calloway Kadarius Calloway Reverts to IR
Tue, Aug 18, 2026, 6:42 PM
Calloway (undisclosed) reverted to the Buccaneers' injured reserve list Tuesday, Aaron Wilson of KPRC 2 Houston reports.
Analysis: The Buccaneers waived Calloway with an injury designation Monday. The running back ended up clearing waivers and will now spend the entirety of the 2026 season on injured reserve unless he is waived with an injury settlement. The team signed Barika Kpeenu on Sunday, potentially as a preseason replacement for the fallen running back. |
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Kenny Gainwell Kenny Gainwell Impresses Mayfield at camp
Tue, Aug 18, 2026, 2:34 PM
Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield said Tuesday that he's been "completely overwhelmed with the amount of talent" that Gainwell has, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
Analysis: Dramatic language and all, Gainwell apparently has a very important fan on his new team. While Bucky Irving remains the presumed lead runner, Gainwell should get a lot of the work on passing downs while also maintaining a small role in "pony" packages with two halfbacks on the field. New playcaller Zac Robinson used those double-RB looks on a league-high 95 plays (9.1 percent of total snaps) with the division-rival Falcons last year. |
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Jalen McMillan Jalen McMillan Ruled out for second preseason game
Tue, Aug 18, 2026, 9:43 AM
McMillan (knee) will not play in Saturday's preseason game against Kansas City, River Wells of BucsGameday reports.
Analysis: McMilan returned to practice Tuesday after missing a week of action with a lingering knee issue, but per head coach Todd Bowles he will be eased back into action and will not suit up for Tampa Bay's second exhibition contest. In McMillan's absence, rookie Ted Hurst could continue to get extra reps with the first-team offense. |
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Jalen McMillan Jalen McMillan Practicing again after week-long absence
Tue, Aug 18, 2026, 8:43 AM
McMillan (knee) returned to practice Tuesday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
Analysis: It's unclear if he'll be a full participant, but McMillan is at least suiting up and taking part. He's been dealing with a knee injury for the past couple weeks, missing Tampa Bay's preseason opener against the Jets. McMillan should have plenty of time to get right for Week 1. |
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Cade Otton Cade Otton Sitting with undisclosed injury
Tue, Aug 18, 2026, 8:16 AM
Otton isn't practicing Tuesday due to an undisclosed injury, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
Analysis: The Buccaneers haven't revealed the nature of Otton's injury nor its severity, but the fifth-year tight end appears unlikely to be available for Saturday's preseason game versus Kansas City. When healthy, Otton projects to take on a heavy snap share on a weekly basis, but he isn't expected to be much more than a third or fourth option in the passing game for quarterback Baker Mayfield and has never been a major red-zone target (11 touchdowns in 63 career regular-season games). |
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Practices Monday
Mon, Aug 17, 2026, 7:54 PM
Roberts (knee) practiced in full pads Monday, according to PewterReport.com.
Analysis: It was the first session for the safety since he injured his ACL during a joint practice with the Steelers in August 2025. Roberts signed with the Bucs as an undrafted free agent last year and was playing well during his first training camp before the injury. Now that he's back on the field, he'll look to make a case for a spot on the 53-man roster. |
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Jake Browning Jake Browning Back at practice
Mon, Aug 17, 2026, 6:39 PM
Browning (back) practiced Monday after missing Friday's preseason game against the Jets, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Analysis: The quarterback strained his back Wednesday during a joint practice with the Jets and then had to sit out of the preseason opener. Now that he has returned, Browning should slide back into his spot as Baker Mayfield's primary backup. The fourth-year pro is in his first year with the Bucs after spending his first three seasons with Cincinnati. |
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Bucky Irving Bucky Irving To play in preseason Week 2
Mon, Aug 17, 2026, 2:01 PM
Coach Todd Bowles said Monday that Buccaneers starters, such as Irving, will play in Saturday's preseason game against the Chiefs, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
Analysis: Both Irving and fellow RB Kenny Gainwell were held out of Friday's preseason game at the Jets, but the pair are slated to get some run in Tampa Bay's second exhibition. After reeling off 1,514 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns in 17 regular-season games as a fourth-round rookie in 2024, Irving fell back to 865 total yards and four TDs in 10 appearances last regular season, mostly due to a cascade of health concerns. With Rachaad White moving on to Washington this offseason, Irving has a new running mate in Gainwell, and the breakdown of reps between the two remains to be seen. |
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Jalen McMillan Jalen McMillan Labeled day-to-day by head coach
Mon, Aug 17, 2026, 9:58 AM
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said Monday that McMillan (knee) is considered day-to-day, PewterReport.com reports.
Analysis: He remained sidelined at practice Monday along with Emeka Egbuka (toe), whom Bowles referred to as "day-to-day, week-to-week," per Evan Closky of 10 Tampa Bay. McMillan has been tending to a sore knee for nearly two weeks, with the issue preventing him from playing in last week's preseason opener versus the Jets. The third-year wideout is trending toward another absence for Saturday's exhibition versus the Chiefs, but the Buccaneers haven't yet indicated that McMillan's availability for the start of the regular season is in any jeopardy. |
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Baker Mayfield Baker Mayfield Likely to play in second preseason game
Mon, Aug 17, 2026, 9:52 AM
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said that Mayfield is expected to play in Saturday's preseason game versus the Chiefs, Evan Closky of 10 Tampa Bay reports.
Analysis: Mayfield sat out the Buccaneers' preseason opener versus the Jets last week, but he was able to get in plenty of competitive reps during a pair of joint practices between the two teams leading up to the exhibition. He looks set to make his preseason debut this weekend, though Bowles didn't disclose how long he expects Mayfield to remain in the contest. Mayfield could be working with a depleted receiver group Saturday, as Bowles labeled Emeka Egbuka (toe) and Jalen McMillan (knee) as day-to-day after both wideouts remained sidelined for Monday's practice. |
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Emeka Egbuka Emeka Egbuka Considered 'day-to-day, week-to-week'
Mon, Aug 17, 2026, 9:45 AM
Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said Monday that Egbuka (toe) is "day-to-day, week-to-week" and was non-committal regarding the wideout's status for the Sept. 13 season opener versus the Bengals, Evan Closky of 10 Tampa Bay reports.
Analysis: Egbuka remained sidelined for practice Monday after suffering a sprained toe last Wednesday in a joint session with the Jets. While the Buccaneers had previously spoke more optimistically about Egbuka's status for Week 1, Bowles was more hesitant during his most recent media session to speculate on the second-year receiver's availability for the start of the regular season. Along with Egbuka, Jalen McMillan (knee) was also a spectator at practice Monday, with Bowles referring to the latter wideout as day-to-day, per PewterReport.com. |
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Practicing for first time in camp
Mon, Aug 17, 2026, 8:38 AM
Wirfs (hamstring) is participating in Monday's practice, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
Analysis: Though Tampa Bay hasn't placed Wirfs on any reserve list since training camp opened in late July, the standout left tackle hadn't practiced over the past three weeks after tweaking his hamstring during a conditioning test. He appears to have since healed up from the injury, though the Buccaneers could still limit his workload early on and hold him out of either or both of their remaining two preseason contests. Regardless, Wirfs looks like he'll be ready to go for Week 1, barring any setbacks with his hamstring. |
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Signs with Tampa Bay
Sun, Aug 16, 2026, 2:44 PM
The Bucs signed Kpeenu to a contract Sunday, Greg Auman of Fox Sports reports.
Analysis: The undrafted free agent out of North Dakota State rushed for 1,005 yards and 20 touchdowns in 2025. Kpeenu appears to be a depth signing that may push Kadarius Calloway and Josh Williams further as they try to challenge Sean Tucker for a chance to make the 53-man roster. |
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Chris Godwin Jr. Chris Godwin Jr. Sits out first preseason game
Sat, Aug 15, 2026, 4:33 PM
Godwin didn't play in Friday's 24-16 preseason victory over the Jets.
Analysis: The Buccaneers held out most of their starters for the team's initial preseason contest, so Godwin's absence isn't a concern. The veteran wideout is expected to maintain a key role in a Tampa Bay WR corps that enters 2026 without Mike Evans for the first time since 2013. Godwin is joined at the top of the team's pass-catching pecking order by Emeka Egbuka (toe), with Jalen McMillan (knee) and tight end Cade Otton also slated to see plenty of opportunities. |
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Jalen McMillan Jalen McMillan Doesn't play Friday vs. NYJ
Sat, Aug 15, 2026, 9:35 AM
McMillan (knee) did not play in Friday's 26-14 preseason win over the Jets.
Analysis: McMillan has been working through a knee issue over the past couple of weeks, and he joined fellow wideouts Emeka Egbuka (toe), Chris Godwin, Tez Johnson (groin), Kameron Johnson and David Sills on the sidelines for Friday's exhibition game. McMillan has been cleared to participate in individual drills in practice, but it remains to be seen whether he's available for the Buccaneers' second preseason game against the Chiefs on Saturday, Aug. 22. With Mike Evans now in San Francisco, McMillan is projected to serve as Tampa Bay's WR3 behind Egbuka and Godwin. |
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Cade Otton Cade Otton Idle for preseason opener
Sat, Aug 15, 2026, 9:29 AM
Otton did not play in Friday's 24-16 preseason win over the Jets.
Analysis: Otton was the only Buccaneers tight end to not suit up Friday, with rookie sixth-rounder Bauer Sharp leading the position group with 28 snaps on offense, followed by Devin Culp (21). None of the Bucs' key skill starters played, but Otton and the rest of the first-team offense could see some action against the Chiefs on Saturday, Aug. 22. The fifth-year tight end is looking to build off a 2025 campaign in whichh he caught 59 passes (on 81 targets) for 572 yards and a touchdown over 16 regular-season games. |
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