TAMPA, Fla. — The Bucs confirmed Saturday that defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh has been added to the reserve/COVID-19 list, becoming the fourth player this week placed on the list.
Suh, who was set to start Saturday night's preseason game in Houston, joins kicker Ryan Succop and reserve offensive linemen Earl Watford and Nick Leverett on the list.
The Bucs kick off the regular season Sept. 9 at home against the Cowboys, by which time all four players in theory should be available. The NFL informed teams in a July 22 memo that any vaccinated player or staffer who tests positive and is asymptomatic is permitted to return to duty after two negative tests at least 24 hours apart.
Suh didn’t participate in last weekend’s 34-3 preseason loss to the Titans, whose own reserve/COVID-19 list continues to grow, but did participate in the two joint practices against Tennessee on Aug. 18 and 19 at AdventHealth Training Center.
The Titans currently have seven players on the list. They’ve had a dozen players or coaches either placed on the reserve list or following the COVID-19 protocols since coach Mike Vrabel announced he had tested positive the day after his team’s preseason triumph against the Bucs. Vrabel was set to miss Saturday's Tennessee game with Chicago.
Suh’s absence opens the door for a handful of reserves — including Patrick O’Connor, Jeremiah Ledbetter, Benning Potoa’e and Khalil Davis — to make an 11th-hour push for a roster spot with final cuts due by Tuesday afternoon.
