Bucs Activate Kaylon Geiger, Kenny Young for Sunday’s Game

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers activated rookie wide receiver Kaylon Geiger and fifth-year inside linebacker Kenny Young from the practice squad on Saturday, making both players eligible to play in Sunday’s game at New Orleans.

The NFL introduced the practice squad elevation option in 2020, which allows teams to activate up to two practice squad players for each game. By utilizing both options in Week Two, the Buccaneers have increased their game day roster to 55 players for their Week Two matchup with the Saints. They will be able to keep 48 of those active for the game, naming seven inactives prior to kickoff.

Each player on the practice squad can be elevated up to three times during the regular season and an unlimited amount of times in the postseason. After the game, elevated players automatically revert to the practice squad without having to pass through waivers.

Geiger’s elevation is unsurprising given that five of the team’s seven active wideouts were on the injury report this week and Chris Godwin has already been ruled out for the game due to a hamstring strain. Mike Evans, Julio Jones, Russell Gage and Breshad Perriman are all considered questionable after being limited in practice throughout the week with various injuries.

Geiger (5-10, 180) signed with the Buccaneers in May as an undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech. He played in all three preseason games and caught six passes for 54 yards while also returning three kickoffs for 68 yards.

In Week One, the Buccaneers elevated veteran outside linebacker Genard Avery from the practice squad and used him on special teams. They may have a similar plan this week for Young, who gives the Buccaneers five off-ball linebackers for Sunday’s game, joining Lavonte David, Devin White, K.J. Britt and Olakunle Fatukasi.

The Buccaneers used a veteran exception to sign Young (6-1, 234) to their practice squad after he had been released by the Las Vegas Raiders in August. He has played in 59 regular season games with 25 starts for the Baltimore Ravens, Los Angeles Rams and Denver Broncos, compiling 195 tackles, 5.5 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, one interception, four passes defensed and four forced fumbles.

The practice squad elevation option was introduced as part of the new collective bargaining agreement in 2020. The new rule was something of a compromise, as it did not expand the active rosters beyond 53 players but did give teams a few more options on game days.