The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are just like any other NFL team headed into Week 18 of the regular season — essentially the walking wounded.
That injuries have been an issue all season won’t change against the Carolina Panthers in a game that could determine the NFC South Division champion.
“Todd Bowles said cornerback Jamel Dean and outside linebacker Anthony Nelson will be out Saturday,” ESPN’s Jenna Laine wrote on X. “Calijah Kancey is in play but team will have to make a roster move and he ‘will definitely be on a snap count.’ Bowles said ‘it’s about pain tolerance’ for Tristan Wirfs’ turf toe.”
Dean is out with a shoulder injury after missing losses to the Buffalo Bills and Los Angeles Rams in Weeks 11 and 12 with a hip flexor.
The Buccaneers are 7-9 overall headed into the regular season finale against the and can clinch the NFC South Division title with a win over the Panthers and a win by the New Orleans Saints over the Atlanta Falcons.
A win by the Panthers or a win by the Falcons makes the Panthers NFC South champions for the first time since 2015.
Dean May Have Played Final Game With Bucs
Unless the Buccaneers make the playoffs, Dean may have played his last game in a Buccaneers uniform.
Dean voided the final year of the 4-year, $52 million contract extension he signed before the 2023 season, meaning he’ll be a free agent in March and will likely get several offers on the open market. Spotrac projects Dean’s Market Value in the range of a 3-year, $38.8 million contract.
Polymarket Sports’ NFL writer John Frascella has Dean ranked as the No. 9 overall free agent in the 2026 cycle. Dean has mostly struggled since signing his big money deal with the Buccaneers but bounced back with 3 interceptions in 2025.
Dean landed on Bleacher Report’s list of the “Most Overpaid Players in the NFL” before the season.
“The six-year veteran was frequently burned in coverage in 2023 and was not a No. 1-caliber corner last year,” Bleacher Report’s Brad Gagnon wrote. “He isn’t much of a playmaker, either (three interceptions total in the last three seasons), and he’s simply not living up to a four-year, $52 million contract.”
Buccaneers Missing $100M in CBs Against Panthers
Not having Dean against the Panthers means the Buccaneers will be missing exactly $100 million in cornerbacks not in the lineup. Cornerback Zyon McCollum, who signed a 3-year, $48 million contract extension on September 5, was placed on injured reserve on December 15.
“Bad news on injury front for Bucs — corner Zyon McCollum is headed to injured reserve, so he’ll miss the rest of the regular season and a wild-card game,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote on X.
“McCollum came into the season with insane hype,” The Pewter Plank’s Josh Hill wrote on December 15. “He had played his way both into a CB1 role on defense and a fat new contract extension. Getting ahead of his pending free agency this upcoming March, the Bucs gave McCollum a three-year, $48 million deal only to watch him regress more and more as the season wore on … The entire defense has underperformed, but McCollum’s struggles have been particularly upsetting. He was primed for a huge year and has completely flamed out, adding pressure to an already volatile situation involving how things are going on that side of the ball.”
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