TAMPA — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to play a talented Dallas Cowboys team on Thursday Night Football. Every game is crucial for Tampa Bay from here on out, as the Bucs are 0-4 and are looking for their first win to kickstart some sort of turnaround.
Tampa Bay had a few interesting names on the injury report heading into the final Wednesday practice, and head coach Todd Bowles gave some clarification on who will be available and who will not be on Thursday. Here’s who will play and who will sit out against the Cowboys:
The good news is that kicker Chase McLaughlin appears to be alright, per Bowles. McLaughlin stretched with the team in warmups and should be good to go for Tampa Bay on Thursday despite appearing on the injury report with a groin and hip injury on Tuesday.
Additionally, first-round draft pick Rueben Bain will play for the first time since Week 2 after injuring his groin against the Cleveland Browns. Bain hasn’t produced much in the limited time he has played, but he’s still a vital part of Tampa Bay’s plans at pass rush and should help to bolster the edge rushing group against the Cowboys.
The bad news? The Bucs will be missing some depth pieces. Cornerback Benjamin Morrison and linebacker SirVocea Dennis will miss Thursday’s game against the Cowboys, per Bowles.
Both players don’t directly affect the team’s starting lineup on defense, but both will affect Tampa Bay’s special teams unit. As it stands, Dennis has played 61.95% of special teams snaps so far in 2026, and Morrison has played 27.43%. Both are reliable teams options, and the Bucs will have to pivot on Thursday.
Morrison and Dennis also contribute to the team’s depth at cornerback and linebacker, respectively. Linebacker Josiah Trotter is dealing with a nagging knee injury, and although the team also has Christian Rozeboom, Dennis’ lack of presence could hurt the team if further injuries occur at the position.
Likewise, Morrison is the first corner up behind Zyon McCollum and Jacob Parrish. If either outside corner gets hurt, the Bucs will likely have to turn to undrafted free agent Ayden Garnes, who impressed the team in preseason and made the 53-man roster.
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