Buccaneers cornerback Jamel Dean has been ruled out of the Bucs’ Week 17 matchup against the Carolina Panthers with injuries to his knees. Dean was limited in practice when coming into the game, with both knees appearing on the injury report.
Dean has been downgraded to OUT. https://t.co/PDEaJJyfHk
— Buccaneers Communications (@BuccaneersComms) December 29, 2024
Dean has battled injuries all season, spending most of November on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. When he is on the field, Dean is the the Bucs’ most experienced and most consistent cornerback.
Tampa Bay’s secondary overall has been beset by injuries, both throughout the season and coming into today. The Bucs are still without All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. and just lost Christian Izien to injured reserve with a hamstring injury.
The Bucs lost their primary reserve cornerback Bryce Hall to a leg injury in Week 1 and have relied on second-year cornerback Josh Hayes and undrafted rookie Tyrek Funderburk. Hayes will likely fill in for Dean, but the Bucs’ pass rush will need to step up its game to prevent Panthers quarterback Bryce Young from exploiting the depleted secondary.