Winfield returns for Bucs, while Egbuka is out again vs. Falcons

The central question of Sunday’s Falcons-Bucs inactives is who will and will not be available for Tampa Bay, and the answer is clear on two key names: safety Antoine Winfield Jr. is back after being out with a rib fracture, while wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is again ruled out.

Winfield missed the previous three games due to a rib injury that he suffered against Green Bay in Week Four, but Tampa Bay has cleared him to play against Atlanta and expects him to start. That return comes as the Bucs also have tackle Luke Goedeke available again after missing one game with a calf injury.

Egbuka, meanwhile, is not coming off the injury list. Tampa Bay ruled him out on Friday with a foot injury, and he will miss a second consecutive contest. The team also noted that Egbuka had been previously listed with a concussion but cleared the league’s concussion protocol late in the week.

Inactives were submitted by both clubs at 11:32 a.m. ET, 90 minutes before kickoff. The Bucs did not make any practice squad elevations and had 53 players available, so they named five inactives to reach the 48-player game-day limit.

Atlanta’s active plan included practice squad elevations for linebacker Brian Asamoah and running back Khalil Herbert, which in turn pushed the Falcons to name seven players inactive. The Falcons will also be missing pieces of their offense and defense due to injury, including Brian Robinson (hamstring), as well as linebacker Divine Deablo (forearm) and cornerback Billy Bowman (hamstring strain). Kendal Daniels was cleared after missing time earlier this week with an Achilles tendon issue, and cornerback Avieon Terrell was good to go after being considered questionable due to illness.