The 2025 NFL season has come down to this. A wild ride in the NFC has resulted in a playoff spot still up for grabs, as the Carolina Panthers and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers face off in a game that could determine the winner of the NFC South.
For both teams, the year has seen a lot of inconsistency, but they could potentially make it into the postseason with a win on Saturday. Neither squad, though, is coming into the game fully healthy.
Baker Mayfield and Rico Dowdle were on the injury report in the lead-up to Week 18, but both of them are cleared to play today. So here’s who remains on the inactive list and who is in the starting lineup for both rosters?
Inactive List for Buccaneers and Panthers
Here are the confirmed inactives for today’s game:
Carolina Panthers
- WR Hunter Renfrow
- CB Robert Rochell
- S D’Anthony Bell
- S Demani Richardson
- LB Claudin Cherelus
- DT Jared Harrison-Hunte
- DT Tershawn Wharton
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- QB Connor Bazelak
- CB Jamel Dean
- G Elijah Klein
- OLB Anthony Nelson
- WR Sterling Shepard
- DL Elijah Simmons
Starting Lineups for Buccaneers vs. Panthers
Carolina Panthers
- QB Bryce Young
- RB Rico Dowdle
- WR Tetairoa McMillan
- WR Xavier Legette
- WR Jalen Coker
- TE Tommy Tremble
- LT Ikem Ekwonu
- LG Damien Lewis
- C Cade Mays
- RG Jake Curhan
- RT Taylor Moton
Defense:
- RDE Bobby Brown III
- NT A’Shawn Robinson
- LDE Derrick Brown
- LOLB Nic Scourton
- RILB Christian Rozeboom
- LILB Bam Martin-Scott
- ROLB D.J. Wonnum
- LCB Mike Jackson
- SS Tre’von Moehrig
- FS Nick Scott
- RCB Jaycee Horn
Special Teams:
- PK Ryan Fitzgerald
- P, H Sam Martin
- PR, KR Trevor Etienne
- LS JJ Jansen
Inconsistency has been the one constant for the Panthers all season long. At 8-8, they are far from a juggernaut, with their rankings on PFSN’s Offense Impact and Defense Impact at 26 and 25, respectively, further proving that they aren’t as good as their record suggests.
However, they have some wildly impressive wins, including one over the Los Angeles Rams. Now, a clean sweep over the Buccaneers in the season series could finally help them clinch a playoff berth for the first time since 2017.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers
- QB Baker Mayfield
- RB Bucky Irving
- WR Mike Evans
- WR Emeka Egbuka
- WR Chris Godwin Jr.
- TE Cade Otton
- LT Tristan Wirfs
- LG Dan Feeney
- C Graham Barton
- RG Luke Haggard
- RT Luke Goedeke
Defense:
- RDE Greg Gaines
- NT Vita Vea
- LDE Logan Hall
- ROLB Yaya Diaby
- RILB SirVocea Dennis
- LILB Lavonte David
- LOLB Haason Reddick
- RCB Benjamin Morrison
- FS Antoine Winfield Jr.
- SS Tykee Smith
- LCB Christian Izien
Special teams:
- PK Chase McLaughlin
- P, H Riley Dixon
- PR Kameron Johnson
- KR Sean Tucker
- LS Evan Deckers
The Buccaneers haven’t been anywhere near the caliber of team that started the season 6:2. Winning just one game in their last eight games, they are assuredly finishing below .500.
But given the state of the NFC South as a whole, they have an outside chance of walking away with the division. However, their fate isn’t entirely in their hands, as they’ll need the Atlanta Falcons to lose their final game as well to secure a playoff spot by virtue of tiebreakers.
