The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be short-handed in a crucial Week 17 game against the Dolphins. The Bucs travel to Miami sitting at 7-8, one game behind the Panthers in the NFC South after losing in Carolina last week. With a rematch in Tampa in Week 18 on the horizon, it’s critical that the Buccaneers beat the Dolphins this week if they want to have a shot at winning the division.
However, they’ll have to do it without some of their key starters. All-Pro LT Tristan Wirfs has been ruled out against the Dolphins with a toe injury, according to Buccaneers HC Todd Bowles on Friday. He did not practice all week. In his stead, backup OT Benjamin Chukwuma will get the start at left tackle.
Additionally, the Bucs have ruled out edge rusher Anthony Nelson and DT Calijah Kancey for the Miami game. Kancey tore his pectoral muscle back in Week 2 and has been on Injured Reserve (IR) ever since, though his practice window was opened this week, giving Tampa Bay 21 days to activate him before he would revert to IR for the rest of the season. Nelson hasn’t practiced all week with a knee injury.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Could Get DT Calijah Kancey Back Soon
GettyTAMPA, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 30: Tristan Wirfs #78 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers celebrates a touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals during the second quarter at Raymond James Stadium on November 30, 2025 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
A first-round pick out of Pitt back in 2023, Kancey is the team’s best pass rusher. He’s a monster in the middle of the defensive line, with 12 career sacks in 28 games over three seasons, though he’s never played more than 14 games in a season, a feat he set in his rookie year.
“He’s ramping up,” Bowles said on Friday on Kancey’s return from IR. “I mean, he looked quick, he looked good hitting bags. So [we’ll] just keep ramping him up, getting him ready.”
Without Kancey in the lineup, the Buccaneers have struggled to put pressure on the quarterback. The Bucs have 35 sacks on the season, which ranks in the middle of the pack, but Bowles has been forced to send a lot of blitzes to generate that pressure, leaving his cornerbacks on islands. As a result, Tampa Bay ranks 26th in the league in passing yards per game allowed and 23rd in quarterback rating against. It’s a big part of why they’re 7-8 despite a good offensive season.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers Need to Finish Strong
With just two games left in the regular season, the Bucs have no more margin for error. Now down a game in the NFC South, they likely need to win out to have a shot at claiming the division for the fifth straight season.
To do that, they’ll need to go through the Dolphins and Panthers. Carolina got the Bucs last week, but it took a heroic game-winning drive to do so. The Buccaneers might feel good about their chances in a home rematch.
After starting the season 6-2, Tampa Bay has lost six of their last seven and is in free fall. Whether they end up making the playoffs or not, the Buccaneers have to generate some momentum to end the season — or else serious changes may be on the way.
Buccaneers Rule Out 3 Key Starters Ahead of Week 17 Game Against Dolphins