In Week 11, Buccaneers starting right guard Jamon Meredith made a surprisingly swift recovery from what appeared to be a serious ankle injury, improving enough to start and finish the team’s 27-21 overtime victory in Carolina. As is the case with many in-season injuries in the NFL, Meredith hasn’t had time to make a full recovery from that injury, and he popped up on the Bucs’ injury report again to start Week 15.
Meredith did not participate in the Bucs’ opening practice on Wednesday, and Head Coach Greg Schiano indicated that the team would have to wait and see on the lineman’s status as the week progresses. Only one other Tampa Bay player did not take part in Wednesday’s workout, as DE Da’Quan Bowers is on the report with a dual “not injury-related/hamstring” notation. That would seem to indicate that Bowers would have been unavailable regardless of whether or not his hamstring allowed him to work.
The Saints started the week with six players on their injury report, and none of them suited up for practice on Wednesday. That includes starting right tackle Zach Strief (ankle) and starting free safety Malcolm Jenkins (knee). Here are the full week-opening injury reports for both teams:
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
| Player | Injury | Practice Status |
| DE Michael Bennett | Shoulder | Full Participation |
| DE Da’Quan Bowers | Not Inj. Related/Hamstring | Did Not Participate |
| CB Anthony Gaitor | Hamstring | Full Participation |
| CB LeQuan Lewis | Knee | Full Participation |
| G Jamon Meredith | Ankle | Did Not Participate |
| DT Roy Miller | Head | Full Participation |
New Orleans Saints
| Player | Injury | Wed. Participation |
| T Charles Brown | Knee | Did Not Participate |
| FB Jed Collins | Toe | Did Not Participate |
| RB Chris Ivory | Hamstring | Did Not Participate |
| CB Malcolm Jenkins | Knee | Did Not Participate |
| T Zach Strief | Ankle | Did Not Participate |
| CB Corey White | Knee | Did Not Participate |