The plan all along for the Bucs was to get healthy for the playoffs. But with so many players missing games down the stretch, the possibility of returning to full strength for the Wild Card round is in doubt.

Running back Leonard Fournette and linebacker Lavonte David are currently on injured reserve. Outside linebackers Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul aren’t on IR, but very well could be. None of the four will play in the season finale against Carolina on Sunday. But beyond that, it sounds as if everyone could be back for the playoffs.

“Everybody’s trending in the right direction,” Arians said. “We’ll wait and see with Lavonte, but he’s moving in the right direction. All those guys, for next week, and we’ll worry about next week, next week. But they’re trending in the right direction.”

Both Fournette and David suffered injuries in Week 15 and have been out ever since. Fournette is dealing with a hamstring issue, while David has been sidelined with an injured foot. Barrett is dealing with an MCL injury, which caused him to miss most of the second half of the team’s win over the Panthers. Pierre-Paul also last played in Week 15, as he battles through a rotator cuff injury that he sustained earlier in the year.

Fournette is still on injured reserve, but he seemed to be in good spirits during practice on Wednesday. He made a brief appearance during warmups, talking with a few teammates while they were getting ready.

Getting all of these players back would be a huge bright spot for the Bucs. But the player that Arians seemed least confident about returning, David, is arguably the player they need the most. Tampa Bay’s run defense hasn’t been as efficient as it once was with David out of the lineup. That was exemplified on Sunday, when the Jets gouged the Bucs for 150 rushing yards. Devin White made just two tackles and Kevin Minter was consistently a step behind.

The Bucs finish the regular season with a game against the Panthers for the second time in two weeks. This one will take place in Tampa at 4:25.