The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced 38 roster moves on Tuesday, in the process trimming their numbers to the regular-season limit of 53 players before the 4:00 p.m. ET deadline. That included 22 players who were waived and are now subject to waiver claims over the next 24 hours. In addition, six players were waived with an injury designation and would revert to the Buccaneers' injured reserve list if they are not claimed. Typically, those players then work out injury settlements with the team to become free agents. The Bucs also terminated seven vested veterans; they are not subject to waivers and immediately become free agents.
As expected, second-year wide receiver Jalen McMillan was placed on injured reserve Tuesday following the severe neck strain he suffered in the second preseason game in Pittsburgh. The Buccaneers used one of their "designated for return" options for putting players on injured reserve on the day of the roster cutdown to 53 players on McMillan, meaning he can return to the active roster after missing a minimum of four games. Linebacker Anthony Walker was terminated for a non-football injury and rookie defensive lineman Desmond Watson was terminated for a non-football illness.
Among the Buccaneers Tuesday cuts were the waiver of third-year wide receiver Trey Palmer and the termination of quarterback Kyle Trask. Palmer was a sixth-round pick in 2023 who had 51 receptions for 557 yards and four touchdowns over his first two seasons. Trask was a second-round pick in 2021 who got few opportunities to play over four seasons in Tampa because neither Tom Brady nor Baker Mayfield missed a start over those four campaigns. Trask threw just 11 regular-season passes during his Bucs tenure, completing four for 28 yards.
Here are all the moves Tampa Bay made on Tuesday to get their roster from 91 down to 53 active spots:
WAIVED (22):
- CB Tre Avery
- QB Connor Bazelak
- DL C.J. Brewer
- S Will Brooks
- WR Garrett Greene
- DL Mike Greene
- T Luke Haggard
- WR Dennis Houston
- DL Nash Hutmacher
- DL Dvon J-Thomas
- LB Nick Jackson
- WR Rakim Jarrett
- RB Jase McClellan
- T Tyler McLellan
- T Lorenz Metz
- WR Trey Palmer
- OLB Warren Peeples
- OLB Jose Ramirez
- S Shilo Sanders
- G Ben Scott
- TE Tanner Taula
- RB Owen Wright
WAIVED/INJURED (6):
- CB JayVian Farr
- CB Tyrek Funderburk
- LB Antonio Grier
- C Jake Majors
- T Raiqwon O'Neal
- CB Roman Parodie
TERMINATED CONTRACT (vested veterans) (7):
- DL Eric Banks
- DL Adam Gotsis
- CB Bryce Hall
- WR Jacob Harris
- G Michael Jordan
- G Sua Opeta
- QB Kyle Trask
PLACED ON INJURED RESERVE (eligible to return) (1):
- WR Jalen McMillan
TERMINATED FOR NON-FOOTBALL INJURY (1):
- LB Anthony Walker
WAIVED FOR NON-FOOTBALL ILLNESS (1):
- DL Desmond Watson
Many of the players the Bucs put on waivers will be prime candidates to return to the team's practice squad if they are not claimed by another team. NFL practice squads can accommodate a lot of returning players with 16 spots; in the Bucs' case specifically, they can carry 17 players on the practice squad this season if they bring back tackle Lorenz Metz, a German native who carries a roster exemption thanks to the International Players Pathway Program.
As has been the case the past three seasons, game-day elevation options allows the team to utilize those players frequently throughout the season. Though some of those spots could be filled by players from other teams, the Buccaneers' initial practice squad of the season is usually made up largely of players the team cut the day before.
