The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will face the Minnesota Vikings without starting linebacker Josiah Trotter (shoulder) and starting outside linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. (groin), turning Sunday into an immediate test of the defensive depth behind their first two 2026 draft picks. Linebacker Christian Rozeboom has a chance to make that absence matter beyond one week if he capitalizes on the added workload.
Trotter and Bain started each of the first two games before the injuries ruled them out for Week 3. Trotter’s absence leaves a hole in the middle of the defense, while Bain’s puts more snaps on an edge group that needs to generate pressure against Minnesota quarterback Kyler Murray.
Locked On Bucs host James Yarcho viewed Trotter’s absence as an audition for Rozeboom and linebacker SirVocea Dennis, who will work alongside linebacker Alex Anzalone. Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles said both Dennis and Rozeboom will see action next to Anzalone, giving Tampa Bay an in-game look at options it has not needed to fully explore through two weeks.
Yarcho argued that a productive outing from Rozeboom or Dennis could pressure Bowles to reconsider how heavily he relies on Anzalone. The opportunity is real: Rozeboom had not taken a defensive snap through the first two games, while Dennis played nine after Trotter exited against Cleveland.
Bain’s absence creates a different sort of evaluation. Outside linebackers Anthony Nelson, Al-Quadin Muhammad, and David Walker are all candidates for more work opposite YaYa Diaby. Walker logged his first career sack against the Browns on nine defensive snaps, and the Week 3 depth-chart change gives him a chance to show whether that disruption can carry into a larger role.
The injuries make the Vikings matchup less forgiving for a defense still looking for its first win. Yarcho said Tampa Bay needs to make Murray uncomfortable early, particularly after arguing that the unit’s soft pre-snap cushions have helped opposing quarterbacks get the ball out quickly. Without Trotter’s tackling production and Bain’s edge rotation snaps, the replacements must avoid turning short completions into extended drives.
Rozeboom does not need to settle the linebacker hierarchy in one afternoon. He does have a clear chance to show that the Buccaneers can trust him with meaningful defensive snaps while Trotter recovers. Tampa Bay needs that answer quickly, because a 0-3 start would leave little room for its defensive transition to remain theoretical.
