The Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ defense is getting an early Christmas present.
Defensive lineman Calijah Kancey returned to practice with the team on Wednesday, the first step towards potentially returning from injured reserve before the Buccaneers’ 2025 season is over. Kancey was originally playced on I.R. on September 17 after suffering a torn pectoral muscle in the Bucs’ Week Two win over Houston.
The Buccaneers now have a 21-day window in which Kancey can practice with the team without counting against the 53-man roster. He can be activated from injured reserve at any point during those three weeks, though the team would have to make a corresponding move to create space on the 53-man roster. Theoretically, Kancey could return to action as early as this Sunday’s game at Miami.
Kancey was Tampa Bay’s first-round pick in the 2023 draft, taken 19th overall. A talented interior pass-rusher with a lightning-fast first step, Kancey has 11.5 sacks and 29 quarterback hits in 28 career games for the Buccaneers. In 2024, he posted 7.5 sacks in 12 games, along with 28 tackles, 17 QB hits, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
If Kancey does return to the Bucs’ active roster from injured reserve, he would be the team’s fifth player to do so this season, following tackle Luke Goedeke, wide receivers Mike Evans and Jalen McMillan and safety Rashad Wisdom. Each team is allowed eight options per season to bring players back from injured reserve.