Even when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers get good injury news, it’s almost certain there’s bad news to follow.
Week 15 and a critical primetime game against their NFC South Division rival Atlanta Falcons will be no different.
While the Buccaneers got good news in the form of starting wide receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan likely back in the lineup, Tampa Bay will be without one starter and could be without 2 more as they try to bounce back form a disheartening home loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 14.
“Bucs coach Todd Bowles said LB SirVocea Dennis is out and S Tykee Smith, TE Cade Otton are doubtful for Thursday night’s game vs ATL,” Tampa Bay Times reporter Rick Stroud wrote on his official X account on Wednesday, December 10. “The Bucs will platoon at LB with Deion Jones and John Bullock/Nick Jackson.”
Backup safety Rashad Wisdom is also out for another week and might not return this season.
“Bowles also said safety Rashad Wisdom is out, so Bucs will have to decide next week when his 21-day practice window is up whether to activate him or keep him on injured reserve the rest of the season,” Fox Sports NFL reporter Greg Auman wrote on his official X account.
What Buccaneers Lose if Otton Can’t Play
The possible loss of Otton should be mostly negated by the return of Evans and McMillan, who has yet to play a game this season, but it still takes away a security blanket for quarterback Baker Mayfield.
It’s more of a testament to how bad the Buccaneers have struggled with injuries this season that Otton is second on the team with 46 receptions for 430 yards but it also speaks to how bad the offense has struggled that he hasn’t scored a touchdown.
Otton is coming off a career year in 2024 in which he had career highs of 59 receptions for 600 yards and 4 touchdowns despite missing 3 games with injuries.
With Otton headed toward free agency in 2026 there’s a good chance the Buccaneers could take a tight end early in the 2026 NFL draft — maybe even in the first round.
No Dennis, Smith on Defense Might Not Matter
There hasn’t been a breakout star on defense for the Buccaneers this season, so losing any one player at this point is hard to cause much more than raising an eyebrow unless it’s inside linebaker Lavonte David, defensive tackle Vita Vea or safety Antoine Winfield.
Even those 3 haven’t exactly set the world on fire, so it will be interesting to see how the Buccaneers do without Dennis and Smith, who leads the team with 90 tackles.
Dennis is third on the team with 84 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 1 interception and 7 TFL and has started all 13 games this season after missing a combined 17 games due to injuries over his first 2 seasons. Him being out might not necessarily be a bad thing, either.
According to Pro Football Focus, Dennis’ 46.6 overall grade puts him 76th out of 88 eligible inside linebackers and he’s been arguably the worst player in the NFL, regardless of position, when it comes to pass coverage.
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