Bucs HC Todd Bowles Reveals Plan for First Preseason Game vs. Bengals

Here's who you can expect to be out there when the Bucs play the Bengals.

Feb 27, 2024; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles speaks during a press conference during the NFL Scouting Combine at Indiana Convention Center. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are taking on the Cincinnati Bengals on Saturday for their first preseason game of the year, and when they hit the field that night, there won't be too many starters out there.

Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles spoke to media after Day 12 of mandatory minicamp, and when asked who is playing in the preseason, Bowles revealed that it will mostly be backups — at least for the first game of the preseason.

"Most of the starters will not play," Bowles said. "Based off who's nicked up or not, you may see two or three of them in there for a series or two, but most of them won't play."

READ MORE: Buccaneers Name Starting Quarterback for Preseason Game Against Bengals

Bowles said that this is simply the plan for this game and does not carry over to other preseason games. He also mentioned that the backups who do play will be picked based on a number of different factors, but mostly down to how much certain players have played in practice.

"How much work they get in practice. We've got two practices against two teams the next coming weeks," Bowles said. "You see more in terms of volume stuff in practice than you do in those games. So, how much they get in practice, how much volume they get, who gets nicked up, who doesn't get nicked up, where I think we need more continuity at – it all plays into it."

READ MORE: Devin White Claims Bucs Teammates Said Locker Room 'Isn't the Same' Without Him

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