After not practicing all week with the team, Bucs head coach Bruce Arians announced on Friday that wide receiver Chris Godwin and running back Leonard Fournette would not play on Sunday against the Los Angeles Chargers.
There was some good news on the injury front however, as Arians told the media that cornerback Sean Murphy-Bunting practiced in full and would be ready to start on Sunday. Also, wide receiver Scotty Miller was a limited participant in Friday’s walk-through, and the Bucs will leave the light on for him to play on Sunday.
“Scotty got some practice today, we’ll see how he feels tomorrow,” Arians said. “Leonard and Chris will both be out for this ball game, but we’ll see how Scotty feels tomorrow. Sean practiced some yesterday, he practiced full today. He’s ready to go.”
Murphy-Bunting’s return to the lineup will likely push Antoine Winfield back to free safety and return Mike Edwards to the bench. Edwards played well in relief of Murphy-Bunting when Winfield shifted to the slot last week, but will now hope to get on the field in 3-safety sets, which defensive coordinator Todd Bowles hasn’t utilized much this season.
If Scotty Miller can’t play on Sunday, that would likely mean a significantly increased role for rookie Tyler Johnson, who played 21 snaps and all three wide receiver spots against Denver. Johnson was targeted once last Sunday, dropping the pass, although the play was negated by a penalty.