TAMPA - Cornerback Jacob Parrish and wide receiver Jalen McMillan will not be cleared for Sunday’s Buccaneers home opener against the Cleveland Browns until the morning of the game, Head Coach Todd Bowles said Friday, leaving two potentially significant contributors in limbo ahead of the 1 p.m. kickoff at Raymond James Stadium.
Bowles confirmed the team’s final Week Two injury report will carry no players listed as “out” or “doubtful,” but said both Parrish and McMillan remain questionable and must receive clearance before they can suit up. “He’s coming along, getting better,” Bowles said of Parrish, the second-year cornerback who started the season opener in Cincinnati before a back injury forced him out in the first half. “It will go right up until game day.”
Parrish was limited in practice both Wednesday and Thursday. Benjamin Morrison stepped in to replace him against the Bengals. McMillan, a third-round pick out of Washington in 2024, returned to full practice participation this week for the first time since sustaining a knee injury early in training camp - an injury that kept him out of the Week One loss in Cincinnati. “Take it to go to game time, but he’s still questionable,” Bowles said. “He was full[-go] today.”
Quarterback Baker Mayfield made clear what McMillan’s return would mean for the offense. “Yeah, J-Mac’s a stud,” Mayfield said. “Just unfortunate timing on some of his injuries in the past couple years. But he had a great offseason leading up to that point. He brings a different dynamic, being able to separate in coverage, a different level of juice, and also somebody that when he makes plays you can feel the energy on the sideline. You can feel it from him and he elevates the standard.”
McMillan closed his rookie 2024 season with seven touchdown catches in the final five games and finished with 461 yards on 37 receptions. A neck injury in a 2025 preseason game at Pittsburgh cost him most of that season, though a 114-yard performance against Miami in Week 17 signaled his potential remained intact.
Safety Miles Killebrew is also working through the NFL’s concussion protocol after the Cincinnati game but could be available Sunday. “He still has to clear but he’s been feeling good,” Bowles said. “If he feels good the next two days he’ll probably play.”
The Buccaneers enter the home opener after a 27-20 loss to the Bengals in which four fumbles limited their output despite Mayfield completing 23 of 28 passes for 216 yards without an interception. Left tackle Tristan Wirfs said Cleveland’s defensive front presents a different challenge than Cincinnati’s. “They’re big penetrators, so if we can gash them, it’s going to be great,” Wirfs said. “Giving Baker time to dice these guys up is going to be huge.”
Cleveland’s defense allowed 245 yards and four touchdowns to Jacksonville’s Trevor Lawrence in Week One while recording just one sack on 24 dropbacks. Kickoff Sunday is scheduled for 1 p.m.