Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Chicago Bears: Game day inactives

The Buccaneers are without plenty of their starters yet again in week seven

Another week, another long list of starters that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers won’t have available. After suffering an ankle injury on Thursday night in week six, Antonio Brown won’t be suiting up for the Bucs as they prepare to take on the Chicago Bears. Joining Brown in street clothes on the sideline will be cornerbacks Carlton Davis, Sean Murphy-Bunting, and Richard Sherman, tight end Rob Gronkowski, and linebacker Lavonte David.

This game is lining up to be a big one for receiver Chris Godwin with Brown’s absence but will also likely feature a lot of snaps for second year receiver Tyler Johnson who has seen limited playing time due to the heavy artillery ahead of him at wide receiver. Tight end O.J. Howard had an impact in the week six win over the Philadelphia Eagles and is likely a big part of the game plan again in week seven. Cameron Brate has been targeted with some regularity but has had some bad drops over the past few weeks.

For the Chicago Bears, they will be without defensive tackle Akiem Hicks but see the return of running back Damien Williams off the Reserve/COVID list. Wide receiver Allen Robinson and linebacker Khalil Mack are both expected to play after missing some practice time this week with injuries.

Here are the game day inactives for both teams ahead of their week seven matchup;

Tampa Bay Buccaneers:

Chicago Bears

This is the seventh time in the last eight seasons that the Bucs and Bears have faced off, with the Bears holding a 4-2 record advantage over that span. Quarterback Justin FIelds has been sacked on 15% of dropbacks, the highest rate in the NFL so this could be a big game for Shaq Barrett, Jason Pierre-Paul, Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, and the rest of the Buccaneers pass rush.

The Buccaneers and Bears kick off at 4:25 p.m. ET at Raymond James Stadium. The game will be broadcast on CBS with Jim Nantz, Tony Romo, and Tracy Wolfson on the call.