Injury Doubts for Buccaneers as Week 1 Clash with Atlanta Falcons Looms

Training camps opened up across the NFL this week. While the Atlanta Falcons are only just reporting to Flowery Branch for practices starting on Thursday, news that could affect their season has already come down the line. 

According to a report from NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – and the Falcons’ Week 1 opponent – placed two-time All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs and Pro Bowl wide receiver Chris Godwin on the PUP list to begin camp. 

Wirfs was held out of minicamp back in June and was seen wearing a brace on his right knee. Earlier this month, he underwent arthroscopic surgery and is probable to miss the start of the season, according to ESPN’s Buccaneers insider Jenna Laine.

Head coach Todd Bowles was optimistic this week that Wirfs could be ready to play the Falcons, but it sounds like Week 1 is in doubt.

""That I cannot tell you," Bowles told JoeBucsFan when asked about a Week 1 return. "I just know he'll be ready sooner than later. I don't know if it's Week 1, 2, 3. He'll definitely put the work in, so I don't have a problem with that."

Godwin is still recovering from a dislocated ankle, and the subsequent surgery during the 2024 season. He was sidelined during minicamp in June and reportedly underwent a second ankle surgery in the spring, according to Laine. 

Both of these players will be actively participating in team activities, aside from practices, and will have the opportunity to return ahead of the regular season. This story will evolve throughout the course of camp and they will need to return to team activities by the time of final roster cuts at the end of August or risk missing the first four games of the year. 

The player movement for NFL rosters begins from the moment teams arrive for training camp. Between injuries, cuts, and other factors, teams are constantly trying to make their numbers work with certain designations. For anyone looking for a further explanation of what these terms all mean, see below:

IR, or “injured reserve,” includes players who are injured during football-related activities and will require several weeks to return to action. It’s worth noting that these players DO NOT count against a team’s 53-man roster limit. Additionally, these players must miss a minimum of four games and only eight players may be designated for return in the regular season. 

Players who are placed on the IR during anypoint during training camp or preseason must be designated to return before the start of the regular season when the 53-man roster is established. 

PUP, or “physically unable to perform,” includes players who are actively injured or just unable to participate in football activities. In contrast to the IR, these players DO count against the team’s 53-man roster and can be cleared at any point during camp or preseason. 

If a player is unable to perform by the roster cut deadline, they may be moved to the reserve/PUP list and would miss the first four games of the regular season. They would then not count against the 53-man. 

NFI, or “non-football injury/illness,” includes players who are injured outside of football. Long-term illnesses, college injuries, or recreational injuries would be included here. 

If a player is on NFI after roster cuts, similar to the PUP list, they can be placed on the reserve/NFI list and sit out the first four games of the regular season. They would then not count against the 53-man.