The Tampa Bay Buccaneers sit at the top of the NFC South with a solid 6-2 record. But things inside the locker room aren’t as smooth as they look on paper. Head coach Todd Bowles’ squad has been through the wringer, especially on offense. And now, coming out of the bye week, the challenge doesn’t get any easier, with the New England Patriots lined up next.

Now, there’s a glimmer of hope for the QB Baker Mayfield-led offense. Two big names could soon be back in the mix. Wide receiver Chris Godwin and running back Bucky Irving. Bowles hinted at some good news that might come sooner than later. And for the Bucs’ offense, any bit of help right now feels like a boost.

“Where they’re at and if there’s a possibility of their practices to go,” Bowles said about Godwin, Irving, and Haason Reddick. “They come along, obviously they get the treatment, and they train, and they do a lot of stuff in the morning. So when they’re capable of going back out there and doing more, we’ll have them do more. It’s possible. We’ll see what tomorrow brings.”

Notably, Irving has been fighting through nagging foot and shoulder issues since Week 4. He’s already missed four straight games and couldn’t get any work in during the bye week. Still, when healthy, Irving has been a spark plug. In just four appearances, he’s logged 237 yards on 71 carries, and Tampa Bay has won three of those games.

The good news is just like Irving, Chris Godwin hasn’t hit the injured reserve list either. The veteran wideout has now missed three contests. However, none of the three, Godwin, Irving, or Reddick, practiced on Wednesday, which means they’re close but not quite ready.

To manage the load, Bowles and the front office pulled a few roster levers this week to keep the offense steady while help gets closer.

Todd Bowles makes roster move amid injuries

The Buccaneers’ biggest challenge right now is the injury list. But even that hasn’t slowed them down. HC Todd Bowles and the front office have been active, making smart roster tweaks to keep the ship steady. And they are already on it. NFL insider Rick Stroud recently dropped an update about the latest roster shuffle on X.

“Bucs signed offensive lineman Karsen Barnhart to the team’s practice squad and placed practice squad tackle Tyler McLellan on the Practice Squad/Injured Reserve list.”

The move might seem minor, but it’s the kind of depth addition that keeps a playoff contender upright in a long season. Every fresh face counts, especially when the goal is to stay ahead in the NFC South and keep Baker Mayfield protected.

Karsen Barnhart’s story, though, adds a bit of intrigue. The Michigan product went undrafted in 2024 and has been on a winding path since. He bounced from the Chargers’ practice squad last season to the Broncos’ group this year before landing in Tampa Bay. Now he’s ready for his next shot under Bowles.

Now, the question is how Bowles plans to use his new addition. With the playoff picture tightening, every move matters. And the Bucs’ head coach clearly isn’t waiting around.