The Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Bengals had both trimmed their options down to the game-day limit by Sunday morning, submitting their inactive lists at 11:30 a.m. ET before their season opener at Paycor Stadium. It was the final step in a day of roster decisions that left both sides with only 48 players available for kickoff.
The timing mattered because this was not simply a normal Week One formality. The Buccaneers had already elevated Josh Williams and Ifeatu Melifonwu from the practice squad on Saturday, while the Bengals made their own moves by bringing up Joe Giles-Harris and Tanner Hudson. By the time the inactive lists were filed, the picture was clear: both teams had done their housekeeping, and now it was about who would actually be able to contribute once the game began.
What the Buccaneers had to sort out
For Tampa Bay, the main question was how to manage the players who were dealing with availability concerns and which options would be kept on the sideline. Christian Rozeboom was active and set to make his Buccaneers debut, which gave Tampa Bay a notable boost heading into the opener. That was the encouraging part of the picture.
The other part was the usual opening-day tension around injury management and roster depth. The Buccaneers had to settle a number of questions before kickoff, and the inactive list confirmed which pieces were not going to feature in the first game of the season.
The Bengals' final call
Cincinnati also had work to do after its own Saturday elevations, and by Sunday morning the Bengals had completed the process. Shemar Stewart was inactive after being downgraded to out on Friday, while D.J. Turner had been cleared to play after appearing on the injury report on Thursday with a hamstring issue.
That is the practical side of a season opener: not just who is healthy, but who is available after the roster has been reduced to the 48-player limit. For both the Buccaneers and Bengals, the answer came at 11:30 a.m. ET, 90 minutes before the game.
With the inactive lists submitted and the availability picture settled, attention now moves to the field. The roster decisions are done; the opener at Paycor Stadium can finally take over the conversation.
