Surprise appearances on NFL injury reports are never good, even if a player ends up playing in that game, and that was certainly the case for Vita Vea and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (4-2) on Saturday.
Vea popped up on the final report as a non-participant because of a hamstring injury. Said injury rendered him as questionable heading into Monday night's big matchup against the Baltimore Ravens (4-2) and a Vea-less Bucs defense would not be a good situation to be in, considering the prowess of the Ravens' rushing attack.
Well, per Pewter Report's Scott Reynolds, Vea's lack of participation in Saturday's practice was a precautionary measure, before anything else. The Bucs held Vea out in order to mitigate the injury and hopefully have him on Monday night.
The Bucs received some good news on Monday morning as defensive tackle Vita Vea will play versus the Ravens on Monday Night Football. Vea tweaked his hamstring in practice on Saturday and did not participate, but Pewter Report has been told that the team kept him out of practice more as a precautionary measure than anything else. - Scott Reynolds, Pewter Report
The Bucs will also have star wide receiver Mike Evans and rookie starting center Graham Barton on Monday. Both players were removed from the final injury report after dealing with their own hamstring injuries. Barton's kept him out of the Week 6 win over the New Orleans Saints and veteran offensive lineman Robert Hainsey played in his stead.
Tampa Bay has already ruled out starting corner Jamel Dean, rookie receiver Kameron Johnson, second-year tight end Payne Durham, and second-year wideout Rakim Jarrett. Dean's absence is obviously the biggest of the bunch and UDFA rookie Tyrek Funderburk is expected to play on the perimeter.
As mentioned earlier, the Ravens own the NFL's best rushing attack, led by two-time MVP Lamar Jackson and former Pro Bowler Derrick Henry. Having Vea on the field will be a massive help (no pun intended), especially since the defensive line recently added Calijah Kancey back in the mix.
Per Reynolds, second-year wideout Trey Palmer and third-year running back Rachaad White are expected to play, as well. Both players were also listed as questionable on Saturday's final report.
The Bucs are getting healthy at the right time, now, they just need it to stay that way as they enter the toughest stretch of their 2024 schedule.
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