Buccaneers vs. Falcons Inactives: Julio Jones to Play?
The Atlanta Falcons (6-10) are set to host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (8-8) on Sunday in the regular season finale - but key players for each team won't be suiting up.
On Atlanta's side, starting left guard Elijah Wilkinson (calf) will miss his second consecutive game and seventh in the last nine, battling a plethora of lower body injuries.
As for Tampa Bay, cornerback Carlton Davis (shoulder), outside linebacker Carl Nassib (pectoral), safety Logan Ryan (knee), offensive tackle Donovan Smith (foot) and defensive tackle Vita Vea (calf) were all ruled out in advance of Sunday's affair.
Perhaps the biggest question is whether Buccaneers receiver Julio Jones, who starred for the Falcons throughout the 2010s, will be able to suit up in his first game back in Atlanta, as he missed practice on Wednesday and Thursday and was limited on Friday while fighting an illness on top of a knee injury.
Now, just ahead of kickoff, the final answer is in. Here are the inactives for both sides ...
Falcons
- OL Elijah Wilkinson
- CB Rashad Fenton
- OLB David Anenih
- S Micah Abernathy
- DL Jalen Dalton
- TE Feleipe Franks
With Wilkinson out, Atlanta is expected to start Matt Hennessy at left guard, as was the case a week ago. It'll mark Hennessy's third start of the season and gives him a chance to stake a claim for the first-team job next year as Wilkinson will enter free agency.
Fenton played in two games after being acquired from the Kansas City Chiefs at the trade deadline but has been inactive ever since. Anenih and Abernathy, both recently claimed off other teams' practice squads, have yet to make their Falcons debut.
Buccaneers
- CB Carlton Davis
- LB Carl Nassib
- S Logan Ryan
- OL Donovan Smith
- DT Vita Vea
- WR Julio Jones
- S Mike Edwards
Noticeably present on the list is Jones, who also didn't play in the first meeting between the two teams. Now 33, Jones will conclude the regular season with just 10 games played for the second straight year.
The Falcons and Buccaneers will kick off at 1 p.m. inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
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