As the Bucs continue preparations for their Week 1 season opener against the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, safety Jordan Whitehead still has not joined the team at practice. Whitehead continues to get one-on-one work with trainers as he recovers from what coach Bruce Arians called a hamstring injury.

During Sunday’s media session Arians asked what his comfortability level was with the safety depth if Whitehead wasn’t able to go on Thursday.

“Super comfortable,” Arians said. “Ross (Cockrell) has had a hell of a camp and obviously made the transition easily for us. Mike is a ballhawk. So, I’m very, very comfortable with where we’re at there.”

When asked if he would miss the hard hitting style of Whitehead he added, “Definitely. I mean, there’s only one Jordan. I’m not counting him out yet.”

While Arians isn’t counting him out, with just one practice left before the game, it’s hard to envision a scenario where Whitehead will play. A veteran of the system on defense, he doesn’t need much time to prepare and has surely been a part of the game planning meetings. It will all come down to how healthy he is and how good the hamstring feels.

The Bucs are in a great position, though, with their safety depth. Mike Edwards would be a starter for most teams and Ross Cockrell hasn’t looked out of place all summer. Either player should be able to answer the call if Whitehead can’t go. We’ll get a better picture later on Monday when the first injury report of the season is released. Until then, it’s a safe bet to label Whitehead doubtful for Thursdays tilt against the Cowboys.