Interim head coach Harold Goodwin said Friday that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be on the New York Jets on Sunday without outside linebackers Shaq Barrett and Jason Pierre-Paul.
The Buccaneers also activated wide receiver Mike Evans from the reserve/COVID-19 list and placed punter Bradley Pinion on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Pierre-Paul has been playing through a torn rotator cuff all season and missed last week's win over the Carolina Panthers due to an injury, while Barrett suffered a sprained ACL and MCL against the Panthers.
"I know he's banged," said Goodwin of Pierre-Paul, who didn't practice with the team this week, but worked personally with the training staff. "He's no longer a young spring chicken. . At the end of the day, we just need to try to take care of him and hope he comes back when we touch the playoffs and play like he did at the end of last year in that Super Bowl run."
Goodwin said of Evans, who suffered a hamstring strain in Week 15: "There's a chance he can play. At the end of the day, it's probably me, [GM] Jason [Licht] and if the game The timing of the decision will be there. BA [coach Bruce Arian] around, obviously he'll be a part of that decision too. But Mike looked good today, so hopefully - we'll keep our fingers crossed that he's out there could."
Goodwin said there is "a chance" Arian could be back in time to coach Sunday's game. Arian tested positive for COVID-19, and new rules state that a coach or player can return after a five-day isolation period.
Goodwin said wide receiver Antonio Brown "must have twisted his ankle a bit" when he returned from his three-game suspension last week. Brown had previously suffered an ankle injury in Week 6.
"I don't know the seriousness of it," Goodwin said. "But he still has a chance to play on Sunday. Obviously, he's not even a spring chicken, so we have to do a good job taking care of him."