The Buccaneers are headed to Cincinnati for Week 1 with plenty of attention on the fresh faces, but the players who swing games are often the ones flying a little lower on the radar. Tampa Bay has that kind of depth this season, and Sunday could be a good early test of how many pieces Jason Licht and Todd Bowles really have at their disposal.
With Jalen McMillan unavailable, the receiver who could quietly matter is Tez Johnson. The rookie Ted Hurst will draw the spotlight after being drafted in the third round to work at the "X" position, but Johnson has a chance to slide into meaningful snaps.
He put together a strong camp and caught five touchdowns for the Bucs last year. He also brings NFL experience that Hurst doesn’t have yet, along with the kind of quickness that can punish defenders when he finds space.
If McMillan doesn’t play, Johnson should get a look.
Benjamin Morrison is in a different spot, but he could still wind up helping. Jacob Parrish won the outside corner job in training camp, so Morrison isn’t starting there to open the year.
Even so, Todd Bowles has options with him. Morrison can step in for either Zyon McCollum or Parrish if injuries or package changes force the issue, and he could also be part of dime looks with six defensive backs on the field.
He may not be in the starting lineup, but there’s a path for him to make his presence felt.
Up front, Elijah Roberts looks like one of the better rotational bets on the roster. Tampa Bay is counting on Vita Vea and Calijah Kancey to anchor the defensive tackle group, but the line needs reliable depth behind the headline names.
Roberts gave the Bucs two sacks, 14 combined tackles and five QB hits last year, and he showed he could create pressure while holding up in the run game. In Bowles’ scheme, he can fill in at several spots, including for A'Shawn Robinson or Kancey, and if he takes another step, he could help keep the front seven disruptive all game long.
There’s also a chance for a practice squad call-up to matter at running back. Sean Tucker appears unlikely to play Sunday, and if that holds, Josh Williams would probably be elevated in his place.
Williams is built similarly to Tucker at 5-9, 210 pounds. The Bucs used Tucker as the goal-line back in 2025, and while it’s unclear whether offensive coordinator Zac Robinson would use that same approach this year, Tucker’s doubtful status opens the door for Williams to handle those snaps.
If he gets the short-yardage work and turns it into touchdowns, that would be a meaningful contribution.
Another name to keep in mind is Keionte Scott, Tampa Bay’s new nickel cornerback out of Miami and a fifth-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft. He already has a built-in connection with first-round pick Rueben Bain Jr., since the two were college teammates, and his preseason tape suggests he could be ready for a role right away.
Scott’s tackling and physical style stood out in August, and that could make him useful as a blitzer while also helping him set the edge against the run on his side. Coverage is still part of the equation, but he showed enough there in preseason to suggest he can handle it.
Parrish stood out as a rookie nickel last year, and if Scott can follow that path, Tampa Bay’s defense could have another useful piece in place right away.
In Other News...
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Joe Burrow opened the Bengals 2026 season at home looking every bit like the centerpiece of Cincinnatis offense, and Tampa Bay had to live with the early pressure he created as the game unfolded. The Bengals came away with the win, but the opener also drew extra attention for a hit on Burrow that brought the officials in quickly and put one Buccaneers defender in the leagues crosshairs.
Buccaneers safety Tykee Smith was flagged for a late hit on Burrow during the game, and the NFL is now reviewing the play for possible fines. For Tampa Bay, it is the sort of early-season detail that can linger after the result is forgotten, especially when the league still has the final say on any further discipline. [Read more 🡒]
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What made the night sting even more was the way Cincinnatis revamped defense kept coming. The Bengals mixed consistent pressure with a defensive touchdown from linebacker Demetrius Knight Jr., turning Tampa Bays mistakes into quick momentum swings and forcing the Bucs to spend the rest of the game chasing points. For a team that wants to contend, the bigger concern after Week 1 is not simply the result, but whether this kind of sloppiness is a one-night mess or a warning sign. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Opener Exposed A Turnover Problem Tampa Bay Still Has
Tampa Bay got the kind of season opener that can make a team look better and worse at the same time. The Buccaneers jumped out early against Cincinnati and had bright spots from Bucky Irving and the defense, with Josiah Trotter finding the end zone, but the game kept turning on the Bucs own mistakes. Baker Mayfields turnovers helped drag Tampa Bay into a long chase, and by the time the offense settled in, the Bengals had already taken control.
For a team that entered the year hoping to build on its strengths, the sloppiness was hard to ignore. Cincinnati did its part, too, with Evan McPherson drilling long field goals that kept pressure on Tampa Bay, but the bigger issue for the Bucs was self-inflicted. They had enough good moments to show the pieces are there, yet the opener also made clear that protecting the ball is going to decide whether those pieces add up to something more. [Read more 🡒]