The Bucs added some extra safety depth ahead of Sunday’s home opener against the Browns, elevating Ifeatu Melifonwu from the practice squad to the active roster.
Melifonwu is eligible to play in Week 2 after being activated and appearing in the 2026 regular season opener in Cincinnati. The 27-year-old was dressed for the Bengals game, but he never got on the field on defense. Because NFL teams can elevate a player three times in the regular season, Melifonwu now has one more elevation left before Tampa Bay would need to add him to the 53-man roster to use him again.
The move comes as the Bucs try to bounce back from a 33-27 loss to Cincinnati. Melifonwu signed at the start of training camp and suited up for all three preseason games, finishing with five tackles, one tackle for loss and a PBU. He narrowly missed the initial roster cut when Tampa Bay opted to keep just three safeties.
One of those safeties, Miles Killebrew, is dealing with a concussion and must clear protocol before he can be available. He was listed as questionable on the final injury report.
Tampa Bay also listed cornerback Jacob Parrish and wide receiver Jalen McMillan as questionable. Parrish left in the second quarter against the Bengals with a back sprain and did not return, while Benjamin Morrison stepped in at outside corner opposite Zyon McCollum and handled himself well. Parrish practiced in full on Friday, which points to a possible return against Cleveland.
McMillan has been working back from a knee injury that dates to the middle of training camp. He was a full participant all week, making his season debut on Sunday a real possibility.
Running back Sean Tucker is set to play after missing Week 1 with a hamstring injury, and that means Josh Williams will not get a practice squad elevation for the Browns game. Williams filled in for Tucker last week and even broke off a 47-yard kickoff return against Cincinnati.
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In Week 1, Tampa Bay allowed just 23.7 yards per kickoff return, one of the lowest averages in the league, which is a small but meaningful start for a group that has been under scrutiny. Todd Bowles has already voiced confidence in Smiths ability to clean things up, and the early returns suggest the Buccaneers might finally be moving toward the kind of consistency fans have been waiting for on special teams. [Read more 🡒]