The Tampa Bay Buccaneers waited until Sunday afternoon to decide on the status of tackle Tristan Wirfs and Julio Jones for their Week 15 game against the Cincinnati Bengals, but neither player was able to gain clearance during pregame workouts. Wirfs will miss his third game in a row due to an ankle injury suffered in Cleveland in Week 12. Jones, who is dealing with a knee injury, is inactive for the first time since Week Seven.
The Buccaneers had already ruled out four other players on Friday: outside linebackers Genard Avery and Carl Nassib, cornerback Jamel Dean and defensive lineman Vita Vea.
The Buccaneers did have four other players who were considered questionable who have been cleared to play in safeties Mike Edwards and Antoine Winfield Jr., cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting and outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka.
The Buccaneers and Bengals submitted their list of inactives at 2:55 p.m. ET on Sunday, 90 minutes before the scheduled kickoff of their Week 15 matchup at Raymond James Stadium. The Buccaneers elevated inside linebacker J.J. Russell and wide receiver Deven Thompkins from the practice squad for the game and thus had to name seven players inactive to get down to the game-day limit of 48.
Cincinnati will be without a pair of defensive regulars in defensive end Trey Hendrickson and slot corner Mike Hilton. Those two and tight end Hayden Hurst will all ruled out on Friday, while cornerback Jalen Davis, who was doubtful to play, has also been named an inactive.
BUCCANEERS INACTIVES
- OLB Genard Avery
- CB Jamel Dean
- WR Julio Jones
- OLB Carl Nassib
- QB Kyle Trask
- DL Vita Vea
- T Tristan Wirfs
All but Trask are out due to injury.
BENGALS INACTIVES
- G Jackson Carman
- CB Jalen Davis
- DE Trey Hendrickson
- CB Mike Hilton
- TE Hayden Hurst
- T D'Ante Smith
Davis, Hendrickson, Hilton and Hurst are out due to injury.
