Buccaneers Just Made a Surprising Decision at Safety

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made an interesting decision with their 53-man roster for 2026.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers general manager Jason Licht speaks at the NFL Scouting Combine at the Indiana Convention Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, like every other team, are officially down to their 53-man roster after a big cut-down weekend. And just like a few other NFL teams, too, they have a few interesting quirks with how they constructed the initial roster.

There are a few things to take note of, like how Tampa Bay went with six wide receivers (and one more on IR) and four tight ends, or the fact that the team has 10 offensive linemen currently on the 53-man roster.

Those numbers could be considered higher than average, but there's one particular position in the defensive backs room that is surprisingly very sparse heading into Week 1 of the 2026 season — the safeties room.

Buccaneers Keep Just 3 Safeties on 53-Man Roster

Tampa Bay Buccaneers safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (31) looks on against the Kansas City Chiefs in the first quarter during a preseason game at Raymond James Stadium. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

As it stands, the Buccaneers have just three safeties on their roster — Antoine Winfield Jr. and Tykee Smith, who are both starting, and Miles Killebrew, who was brought in to play special teams.

The immediate lack of safety depth is, as it stands, quite concerning. The Bucs brought in safety Ifeatu Melifonwu during the offseason, but he was among the 37 players cut to get down to 53 men. The Bucs also had other depth options, like safety Rashad Wisdom, who also didn't make it.

Naturally, the Bucs can't go into 2026 with just a single safety to back up their two starters. Tampa Bay will likely make a move on this front sooner rather than later, and when they bring in another safety, they'll have to make a corresponding cut.

That will likely come within the offensive line room. The Bucs kept 10 offensive linemen, which is quite a bit for a 53-man roster, and one of those players — likely one of the team's rotational guards — will probably be on the way out and signed back to the practice squad once a new safety comes in.

For now, though, Winfield, Smith and Killebrew will all dig in and prepare for Tampa Bay's 2026 season opener. The Bucs are set to face the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 1 at 1 p.m on the road.

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