The Bucs have announced that for the first week this season they are promoting two players on offense ahead of their divisional tilt in New Orleans against the Saints. The team has elevated running back DJ WIlliams and wide receiver Ryan Miller to help mitigate injuries at both position groups.
Bucs Suffering Injuries On Offense
After the defense was hemorrhaging players early in the season, it looks like Tampa Bay is getting healthier on that side of the ball by the week. Defensive tackle Calijah Kancey is set to make his season debut after dealing with a calf injury for the first five weeks of the season. All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. was listed as questionable on the Bucs final injury report and is tracking to play as well. Those two players mark huge returns for the team on that side of the ball.
But on offense, running back Rachaad White was officially designated as “Doubtful” yesterday. With Williams’ elevation it would seem that White will not play tomorrow. Williams is a rookie undrafted free agent out of the University of Arizona. He played a limited role across five seasons in college, totaling 276 carries for 1,383 yards and 14 touchdowns while adding 18 receptions for 139 yards as a receiver. He played in all three of the Bucs preseason games, gaining 83 yards on 14 carries before the Bucs cut him prior to the regular season. The team quickly re-signed him to the practice squad after cutting him.
Miller is getting elevated because the Bucs continue to operate a man down in the receiver room. With Rakim Jarrett still on IR, the Bucs thought they were getting closer to full strength with rookie receiver Jalen McMillan returning to action this week after missing week five with a hamstring injury. But fellow receivers Trey Palmer and Kameron Johnson both are out for this week’s game leaving the team with just four healthy and active receivers in McMillan, Chris Godwin, Mike Evans and Sterling Shepard.
Miller is in his second season on the Bucs practice squad after joining the team as an undrafted free agent in 2023. He played in one game last year, week 13 against Carolina where he played 12 snaps on special teams and three on offense. Over six preseason games with the Bucs, Miller has eight catches on 16 targets for 91 yards and a touchdown.
