The Buccaneers got a welcome dose of good news on Friday as their final injury report pointed to a team that’s trending healthier ahead of Sunday Night Football against the 6-2 Chicago Bears.
That matters, because Tampa Bay is walking into one of the toughest spots on its schedule. The Bucs need a road win to make it three straight and keep their playoff momentum rolling, but Chicago brings one of the NFC’s most dangerous offenses into the matchup.
Under Ben Johnson, the Bears have been putting up points in bunches. They rank eighth in the NFL in scoring offense at 26.8 points per game, a number that includes the Week 2 loss to the Minnesota Vikings, when Chicago managed only three points and lost Caleb Williams for the next three games because of a hamstring injury. Since Williams returned three weeks ago, the Bears have scored at least 30 points in each game.
Tampa Bay has already pulled off one prime-time road upset this season. In Week 5, the Bucs went into Dallas as 9.5-point underdogs and beat the Cowboys 24-16 for their first win of the year. This time, Chicago is favored by six, so the challenge is clear.
Still, the injury report gave the Bucs reason to feel better about their chances.
The biggest absence is OLB YaYa Diaby, who is out with a knee injury. Diaby is expected to miss a few weeks, though the hope is that he can avoid injured reserve.
Wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is listed as questionable. He has missed Tampa Bay’s last two games with a concussion and a foot injury, but only the foot injury appears on the report now. After sitting out Wednesday, Egbuka practiced fully on Thursday and Friday, which gives him a strong chance to return against Chicago.
There was also a scare with Tristan Wirfs, who popped up on Thursday’s report after missing practice with a toe injury. But he was back in limited work on Friday and appears set to play.
Beyond that, the Bucs came out clean. No other Tampa Bay player carries an injury designation.
Chicago’s report is relatively light as well. Running back Kyle Monangai, DB Malik Muhammad, and CB Tyrique Stevenson are all questionable, with Monangai dealing with thumb and toe issues, Muhammad with a toe injury, and Stevenson with a thumb injury.
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