The Buccaneers may be heading into Week 6 without Sean Tucker, and the final call won’t come until Sunday.
Tampa Bay is set to host the Pittsburgh Steelers, but Tucker’s quad injury has kept his status up in the air all week. Head coach Todd Bowles said in Friday’s press conference that the team will wait until kickoff to decide whether the running back can suit up.
"We've got to work him out Sunday. That'll be a game-time [decision]."
Tucker missed Wednesday’s practice before returning in a limited role on Thursday and Friday. He is listed as questionable on the final injury report, leaving the Buccaneers with uncertainty in their backfield rotation.
So far this season, Tucker has played in four of Tampa Bay’s five games and has totaled eight carries for 28 yards and one touchdown, according to NFL.com. Even with a small sample, he has made a little noise on those touches - three of his eight rushing attempts have picked up first downs.
His touchdown came in Week 4 against Green Bay, when he finished with 10 yards on three carries. The next week, he had five carries for 18 yards against Dallas as Tampa Bay piled up 241 rushing yards in its first win of the season.
With rookie quarterback Jalon Daniels lined up for another start, the Buccaneers will try to keep that ground game rolling against Pittsburgh. Tucker’s availability could matter in short-yardage spots, but given how limited his role has been, it’s hard to see this changing Tampa Bay’s offensive identity in a major way.
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