Buccaneers catch break as Seahawks lose key starter

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are beat up and bruised as they head to Seattle to face the Seahawks in an early-season NFC bout between two 3-1 teams looking to prove they are worthy contenders.

The Bucs have already ruled out a slew of players for Sunday's contest, with the likes of Mike Evans, Bucky Irving, Jamel Dean and Benjamin Morrison out due to injury. The list of injured Buccaneers continues to grow in length, but they are hopeful to get a few guys back over the coming weeks.

Sunday's matchup with the Seahawks will require numerous depth players to step up and compete at a high level for Tampa Bay, but Seattle is dealing with its own share of injuries. The Seahawks announced on Friday that star cornerback Devon Witherspoon will miss the game with a knee injury.

Witherspoon OUT vs. Bucs with knee injury

Sep 25, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon (21) Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

The loss of Witherspoon creates a significant challenge in the Seahawks' cornerback room ahead of their matchup with the Bucs. With Witherspoon down with a knee injury and veteran safety Julian Love sidelined with a hamstring issue, the Seahawks will likely turn to the likes of Josh Jobe and Riq Woolen out at the boundary corner spots, with Derion Kendrick stepping in as the primary nickel back.

One positive for the Seahawks' secondary is the welcoming back of rookie safety Nick Emmanwori, who is returning from an ankle injury he suffered in his NFL debut. Despite the lack of live NFL action, Emmanwori will likely immediately see increased playing time, offering a potential boost to Seattle's defensive backfield as they look to slow down Baker Mayfield, rookie Emeka Egbuka, and Chris Godwin.

The loss of a Pro-Bowl corner like Witherspoon is impactful, but with Mike Evans sidelined and the Bucky Irving set to miss the contest, this could be a spot where the Seahawks feel comfortable enough to scrape by and slow the Bucs' offense.

However, with key contributors sidelined, the secondary still faces a critical test against a Bucs offense that can still exploit vulnerabilities such as this if they get rolling.

Seattle and Tampa Bay are both dealing with a lack of depth in their secondaries, so the outcome of the game could likely come down to which quarterback, Mayfield or Sam Darnold, can exploit the opposing secondary more.

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