Big news from the Bucs’ just 90 minutes before gametime. Star left tackle Tristan Wirfs, who was a gametime decision for the team is active and will play against the Carolina Panthers in Charlotte, North Carolina today. The Bucs released their inactives for the game and Wirfs was not among the players listed.

Wirfs being active just three weeks after spraining his MCL is yet another in a long line of displays of his Herculean strength and pain tolerance. It also gets the Bucs’ offensive line, the biggest strength of the team, back to full strength for an important divisional game as Tampa Bay looks to make up ground in both the division and the conference.

Players Inactive for Today’s Game vs. CAR (12/1):

#9 OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka
#23 DB Tykee Smith
#24 CB Tyrek Funderburk
#82 TE Devin Culp
#97 DL Earnest Brown IV

Elevated from Practice Squad:
#11 QB Michael Pratt (Inactive)

— Buccaneers Communications (@BuccaneersComms) December 1, 2024

This is cause for celebration in Tampa Bay and the team’s social media team knew the assignment.

MOOD WHEN TRISTAN WIRFS IS ACTIVE pic.twitter.com/WE02sPUBii

— Tampa Bay Buccaneers (@Buccaneers) December 1, 2024

Bucs Inactives

Bucs OLB Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and Lions QB Jared Goff – Photo by: USA Today

Two starters are out for the game. Both are on the defensive side of the ball with outside linebacker Joe Tryon-Shoyinka and defensive back Tykee Smith both out of action. Reserves Tyreke Funderburk, Devin Culp and Earnest Brown IV are also inactive today.

Smith is the biggest blow, but at a position of relative depth for the Bucs. Backup Christian Izien is likely to start in his stead as he did last week. That will leave Mike Edwards to start at safety in place of Jordan Whitehead, who the team put on injured reserve earlier this week.

Tryon-Shoyinka will miss the first game of his career as he had been an iron man up until this point. Anthony Nelson and Chris Braswell will share the lion’s share of his missed snaps and Jose Ramirez may get a few snaps in a rotational role as well. Tryon-Shoyinka had been playing better in recent weeks with seven pressures and a sack in the three weeks leading up to his early injury against the Giants in week 12.

Panthers Inactives

The Panthers will be without two young contributors on offense as rookie tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders and receiver Jalen Coker are both inactive.

#Panthers INACTIVES vs. Buccaneers

TE Ja’Tavion Sanders
WR Jalen Coker
S Jammie Robinson
CB Shemar Bartholomew
CB Akayleb Evans
OL Jarrett Kingston
DT Jaden Crumedy

— Jared Feinberg (@JRodNFLDraft) December 1, 2024

The Panthers also recently claimed cornerback Akayleb Evans from the Vikings, but he is inactive today as he is still picking up the defense.