TAMPA — The Tampa Bay Buccaneers activated safety Ifeatu Melifonwu and running back Josh Williams from the practice squad Saturday, boosting their game-day roster to 55 players ahead of Sunday’s 2026 season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals.
The elevations address two thin position groups heading into the Week One matchup in Cincinnati. The Buccaneers carried only three safeties on their active roster after leaguewide cutdowns to the 53-player limit, making Melifonwu’s addition critical depth in the secondary. Running back Sean Tucker was listed as doubtful on the team’s injury report Friday, which without Williams’ elevation would have left Tampa Bay with only Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell in the backfield.
Melifonwu signed with Tampa Bay at the start of training camp after spending the previous season with the Miami Dolphins, where he appeared in 16 games with eight starts. He played in all three preseason games for the Buccaneers and started two, recording five tackles, one tackle for loss and a pass defensed before being released in roster cutdowns and re-signed to the practice squad the following day. Across five NFL seasons — the first four in Detroit — Melifonwu has played in 53 games with 22 starts, compiling 125 tackles, 5.5 sacks, three interceptions and 14 passes defensed.
Williams followed a similar path, making Tampa Bay’s active roster as an undrafted rookie last season before being waived in this year’s cutdown and immediately re-signed to the practice squad. He appeared in three games last year, logging four carries for 11 yards and five kickoff returns for 129 yards. His elevation gives the Buccaneers a third option at running back and another candidate to line up deep on kickoffs.
Under the practice squad elevation rule introduced as part of the 2020 collective bargaining agreement, teams may activate up to two practice squad players per game, with each player eligible for elevation up to three times during the regular season and an unlimited number of times in the postseason. Elevated players automatically revert to the practice squad after the game without passing through waivers. The Buccaneers will name seven of their 55 rostered players inactive before kickoff, keeping 48 active for Sunday’s game in Cincinnati.