Nick Jackson

Buccaneers Activate Luke Goedeke From IR

After returning to practice on Nov. 3, Buccaneers right tackle Luke Goedeke is already set to rejoin their lineup. The team announced that it has activated Goedeke from injured reserve. Goedeke is now eligible to play against the Patriots on Sunday.

The Buccaneers have gone without Goedeke since he aggravated a foot injury in a Week 2 win over the Texans. The team has since welcomed back left tackle Tristan Wirfs from offseason knee surgery. He and Goedeke are now set to bookend the Bucs’ line for the first time this year. That’s excellent news for a unit that lost right guard Cody Mauch to a season-ending knee injury in mid-September.

Injuries have torn through the Buccaneers’ offense this season, but they’re still 6-2 and in first place in the NFC South. Quarterback Baker Mayfield has offered an MVP-level performance despite the long-term absences of Goedeke, Wirfs, wide receivers Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, and running back Bucky Irving, among others.

The return of Goedeke should make life easier on Mayfield. A second-round pick in 2022 and a former tackle at Central Michigan, Goedeke spent most of his rookie year at guard. He made a full-time transition to tackle in his second season and hasn’t looked back. Goedeke started in all 30 of his appearances from 2023-24, leading the Buccaneers to hand him a four-year, $90MM extension this past September.

To make room for Goedeke, the Buccaneers waived safety Sebastian Castro. Signed off the Steelers’ practice squad in late September, the undrafted rookie from Iowa picked up one tackle in his lone appearance with the Buccaneers in Week 6.

In other Saturday moves, the Bucs elevated linebackers Nick Jackson and Mohamed Kamara from their practice squad for Sunday’s game. Jackson, another undrafted rookie from Iowa, is in line for his season debut. This is the second elevation of the season for Kamara, who played in five games with the Dolphins as a fourth-round rookie last year. Those two are up with the Buccaneers having ruled out LBs Haason Reddick and Markees Watts for Week 10.

NFL Practice Squad Updates: 8/28/25

Teams around the NFL continued to adjust their practice squads as new players came free from Wednesday’s transactions. Here are all the latest updates:

Arizona Cardinals

Arizona Falcons

Buffalo Bills

  • Signed: CB Jalen Kimber, DE Andre Jones Jr.
  • Released: CB Daequan Hardy

Carolina Panthers

Chicago Bears

Cincinnati Bengals

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos:

  • Signed: TE Patrick Murtaugh (international exemptin)

Detroit Lions: 

Green Bay Packers:

Houston Texans: 

  • Signed: OT Reid Holskey, WR Josh Kelly

Indianapolis Colts: 

Jacksonville Jaguars: 

Kansas City Chiefs:

Los Angeles Chargers:

Miami Dolphins:

  • Signed: RB JaMycal Hasty

Minnesota Vikings:

New England Patriots: 

New York Giants: 

  • Signed: TE Qadir Ismail

New York Jets: 

  • Signed: OL Marquis Hayes, DB Korie Black

Philadelphia Eagles:

  • Signed: WR Britain Covey, OT Luke Felix Fualalo (international exemption)

San Francisco 49ers: 

Seattle Seahawks: 

Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 

Tennessee Titans: 

Washington Commanders: 

Signed: RB Donovan Edwards, CB Darius Rush

Ismail was one of 17 players to work out for the Giants on Thursday, per The Athletic’s Dan Duggan. He won the practice squad spot over more notable players like former Broncos safety Caden Sterns and former Browns quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson. Canadian quarterback Taylor Elgersma also attended the workout, per Ryan Dunleavy of the New York Post, suggesting that the Giants might be looking for extra depth at the position.

Wallace worked out for the Vikings on Thursday, according to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler. It must have gone well, as he was signed to the practice squad hours later as extra depth both in the secondary and on special teams.

Griffin returned to the Seahawks this offseason, eight years after they made him a third-round pick in the 2017 draft. He did not make Seattle’s 53-man roster, but as a vested veteran, he was able to re-sign to the practice squad without going through waivers.

Buccaneers Make Roster Cuts

Here is how the Buccaneers trimmed their roster to the 53-man limit Tuesday:

Released:

Waived:

Waived/injured:

Waived/Non-Football Illness:

Sanders, the son of NFL legend and Colorado head coach Deion Sanders, signed with Tampa Bay in May after he went undrafted. Shilo, who had been competing for a spot at the back of the Bucs’ safety depth chart, was ejected from the club’s preseason finale on Saturday for throwing a punch following heavy pushing and shoving with Bills TE Zach Davidson. He was also flagged for pass interference in the game.

Agents Drew Rosenhaus and Robert Bailey told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that Sanders was headed to the waiver wire, and they hope their client will get claimed on waivers. A fresh start would likely be welcomed by all parties, although it will be interesting to see if any outside suitors put in a claim given the manner in which his Tampa tenure came to an end.

Jarrett, who joined the Bucs as an undrafted free agent in 2023, has recorded 13 catches for 184 yards in his brief time with the team. He will now hit the waiver wire. Provided no claim is made, a spot on the practice squad could be in store given Jarrett’s familiarity with the organization. The Bucs will hold P-squad spots for Jackson and Bazelak, per ESPN’s Jenna Laine and Fox Sports’ Greg Auman. Bazelak staying on would provide finality for Kyle Trask, whom the Bucs released earlier this week. Teddy Bridgewater will be Tampa Bay’s backup, and it looks like Bazelak — a rookie UDFA from Bowling Green — will be the third-stringer.

Weight issues stalled Watson’s practice work, and the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud indicates he ballooned to 470 pounds entering the offseason program. Weight trouble hindered Watson, who did not see any preseason action due to the issue. The Bucs opted to cut Watson, who would have been the heaviest player in NFL history had he played in a regular-season game, rather than stash him on the reserve/Non-Football Illness list. They will not hold a practice squad spot for him, Stroud adds.

Sam Robinson contributed to this post.

Minor NFL Transactions: 5/11/25

Today’s minor NFL moves to close out the weekend:

New England Patriots

  • Signed: G Mehki Butler

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Washington Commanders

Jackson earns his first NFL contract after falling out of the draft and failing to secure an undrafted free agent contract in the past few weeks. Instead, he was given a rookie minicamp tryout and did enough to land a contract.

Jackson is one of an unfortunately select few players who played six years of college football without utilizing a redshirt. Entering school in 2019, he was granted the additional year that all players who were in college during the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season got. Jackson and his teammates were granted a second additional year by the NCAA on the basis that their 2022 season was shortened because of a mass shooting that killed three of their Cavalier teammates. With that time, Jackson recorded four seasons with 100+ total tackles (five with 90+), 33 total tackles for loss, and 17.0 sacks.

Rucker’s time in DC was a short one. He was part of the Commanders’ 10-man undrafted free agent class, signing his contract just three days ago. Dankwah was an UDFA for the Eagles last year but spent most of his rookie season with Washington’s practice squad.