Bucs Gameday

Bucs Will Face Lions Without 2 Key Starters

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be shorthanded against the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

River Wells

Aug 8, 2023; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard Luke Goedeke (67) participates in training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Aug 8, 2023; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard Luke Goedeke (67) participates in training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
In this story:

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be down a few starters on both sides of the ball when they face the Lions on Sunday.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers had their final practice of the week on Friday, and afterward, head coach Todd Bowles spoke to the media. He confirmed what many Tampa Bay Buccaneers fans were fearing — that both defensive tackle Calijah Kancey and offensive tackle Luke Goedeke would miss Tampa Bay's game against the NFC-contending Lions.

READ MORE: Injured Bucs Starter Takes Big Step in Practice to Play vs. Lions

Swing tackle Justin Skule will step in for Goedeke this week, while longtime Buccaneers veteran William Gholston will also get some reps in with Kancey missing. Defensive tackle Logan Hall should be back in the fold for this matchup, so Gholston will perhaps play less than he did last week against Washington.

Kancey looked fine all training camp and was set to play against the Commanders in Week 1 before he once again injured a calf, and that injury will have sidelined him for two weeks now. The Buccaneers will hope that he can play sooner or later, as he'll be a big help with their pass rush.

Goedeke, meanwhile, suffered a concussion at some point either during his game against the Washington Commanders or the Wednesday he had practice with the team this week. Either way, he was limited in Wednesday's practice and then has not been at practice on Thursday and Friday. He's another player the Buccaneers will want to get healthy quickly, as they aren't looking for Skule to play too many games in relief of him.

It was going to be a tough challenge anyway, but now, the Buccaneers are on the back foot heading into their contest with the Detroit Lions. They'll play that game on Sunday at Ford Field at 1 p.m. EST.

Stick with BucsGameday for more FREE coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers throughout the 2024 season.

Follow BucsGameday on Twitter and Facebook

More Tampa Bay Buccaneers News

• Devin White Loses Starting Spot With Eagles

• Bucs' New Offensive Coordinator Draws Rave Reviews In Debut

• Tom Brady Regrets Not Drafting Bucs' Baker Mayfield in Fantasy

• Through The Spyglass: Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Detroit Lions

Published
River Wells

RIVER WELLS

River Wells is a sports journalist from St. Petersburg, Florida, who has covered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers since 2023. He graduated with a journalism degree from the University of Florida in 2021. You can follow him on Twitter @riverhwells.