Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Devin Culp (82) runs with the ball against the Carolina Panthers. Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Why one promising Buccaneers tight end is inactive vs. the Falcons in Week 1

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By River Wells | Last updated Sep 7, 2025 11:53 AM ET

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to face off against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, and as always, the team has released its list of inactive players. There are a few we were expecting due to injury, of course — wideout Chris Godwin, tackle Tristan Wirfs, cornerback Benjamin Morrison and defensive back Christian Izien are all inactive due to injury, but there's one more name on the list that is interesting.

Here are Tampa Bay's inactives:

#14 WR Chris Godwin Jr.
#18 RB Josh Williams
#21 CB Benjamin Morrison
#22 CB Kindle Vildor
#29 DB Christian Izien
#78 T Tristan Wirfs
#82 TE Devin Culp

Most of this makes sense, but one name is interesting — tight end Devin Culp, who is inactive after a strong camp left many wondering if he'd play a bigger role in Tampa Bay's offense. That won't be the case, though, as the Bucs will stick with tight end Ko Kieft over Culp when the team faces off against the Falcons. So why did they make this decision?

Why Devin Culp is inactive for the Buccaneers

The decision mainly comes down to a lack of depth on another part of Tampa Bay's squad — the offensive line. Tampa Bay is down a few linemen due to injury with Wirfs out, so lineman Michael Jordan (who has experience at guard and tackle) has been elevated from the practice squad for this game in case he's needed. Defensive lineman Adam Gotsis was also elevated from the practice squad, which leaves less room for other players — and Culp got squeezed out.

The Bucs decided to go with Ko Kieft, who has value as a pseudo-full back in many packages and also has played a lot of special teams. With Kieft taking that role, Culp is the last tight end out, as the Buccaneers have kept four on the roster once again.

Culp could find some usage in the pass game later on in the season, and he might be able to make the active roster on gamedays once Wirfs returns to the fold. Until then, unfortunately, Culp is one of the first players out of the lineup.