The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have another crucial game against the Las Vegas Raiders this Sunday. And while a few of their players seem a little banged up, things aren’t as bad as they may seem on the surface.
Tampa Bay released its injury report on Thursday for the team’s second day of practice ahead of the Raiders game, and three starters — wideout Mike Evans, running back Bucky Irving and tackle Tristan Wirfs — still did not practice.
While that would normally spell bad news, these three are a special case. Irving has been dealing with a chronic toe injury and also picked up a hip injury against the Panthers, so it’s likely the team is taking it easy with him before he plays on Sunday. Tristan Wirfs is also dealing with an MCL injury he suffered during the 49ers game but told media on Thursday he should be set to play, and Evans is likely resting due to a lingering hamstring issue. Evans also spoke to media on Thursday, and he said he “feels good”, a good sign for Sunday.
There were two setbacks on Tampa Bay’s injury report, however. Cornerback Troy Hill went from a limited participant to a non-participant with a foot and knee injury, and wideout Trey Palmer appeared to injure his hip in practice, making him a limited participant.