The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made a series of roster moves on Wednesday, including the placement of wide receiver Jalen McMillan on injured reserve. The Buccaneers also promoted safety Ifeatu Melifonwu to the active roster and used the open practice squad spot to add quarterback Brett Rypien. Rypien gives the Buccaneers a third available passer with starter Baker Mayfield expected to miss at least three games due to a right thumb injury.
McMillan sustained a knee injury on the Buccaneers' third play from scrimmage on Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings and did not return to the game. It is second season in a row in which he has been forced to spend time on injured reserve after he missed much of the 2025 campaign due to a frightening neck injury suffered in a preseason game. McMillan will have to miss at least four games before he is eligible to return to the active roster.
McMillan also missed the season opener with a knee injury and saw limited action in Week Two, without recording a reception. A third-round draft pick in 2024, he appeared in 17 games with 14 starts in his first two seasons and caught 49 passes for 639 yards and eight touchdowns.
Melifonwu started the season on the Buccaneers' practice squad but has played in each of the first three games after being a game day elevation three weeks in a row. That is the maximum number of elevations allowed for any given player for one team in a season, meaning Melifonwu needed to be added to the active roster if he were to see any more game action. He has logged 51 snaps on special teams through those three games, recording one kick-coverage stop. In five NFL seasons prior to joining the Bucs, the first four in Detroit and the fifth one in Miami, Melifonwu played in 53 games with 22 starts and has recorded 125 tackles, 5.5 sacks three interceptions and 14 passes defensed. In last weekend's season opener, he participated in 15 snaps on special teams.
Rypien most recently went to training camp this summer with the Baltimore Ravens. He has seen regular season playing time for the Denver Broncos, Los Angeles Rams and Cincinnati Bengals, appearing in 11 games with four starts. In his most extensive playing time, for the Broncos in 2022, Rypien got into four games with two starts and completed 53 of 88 passes for 483 yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions. He is the nephew of former NFL quarterback Mark Rypien.
With Mayfield out, the Buccaneers will start rookie Jalon Daniels at quarterback, with Easton Stick, who is also currently on the practice squad, expected to be the primary reserve.
