The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have made moves ahead of their Wild Card round matchup against the Washington Commanders, activating linebacker Deion Jones and wide receiver Knue from the practice squad on Saturday. This move makes them eligible to participate in the game on Sunday evening.
Introduced in 2020 as part of the NFL’s collective bargaining agreement, the practice squad elevation rule allows teams to elevate up to two players from their practice squad for each game. This means the Buccaneers now have 55 players eligible to suit up for the game at Raymond James Stadium. However, only 48 of those players will be active for the game, with seven others being named inactive prior to kickoff.
Under the new rule, players on the practice squad can be elevated up to three times during the regular season, but there are no restrictions on how many times they can be elevated during the postseason. Once the game is over, these players automatically revert to the practice squad without the need to go through waivers. For both Jones and Knue, this marks significant milestones, with Jones being elevated for the third time and Knue for the first.
By elevating Jones, the Buccaneers now have four off-ball linebackers available for the game, alongside Lavonte David, J.J. Russell, and K.J. Britt. Jones has contributed on special teams in the last two games, adding depth to the linebacker unit. Knue’s promotion increases the Bucs’ receiving corps to eight players, though it’s not guaranteed that he will be one of the 48 active players for the game.
Deion Jones brings significant NFL experience to the Buccaneers. He spent the first six seasons of his career with the Atlanta Falcons before joining the Carolina Panthers for a year in 2023. As a second-round draft pick in 2016, Jones made an immediate impact, finishing third in the Defensive Rookie of the Year voting and earning a Pro Bowl selection in his second season. Over his career, Jones has played in 111 regular season games, starting 91 of them, and has recorded 732 tackles, 50 tackles for loss, 12 sacks, five forced fumbles, and two fumble recoveries. Known as one of the league’s best coverage linebackers during his peak, he also has 53 passes defensed and 13 interceptions, including five returned for touchdowns.
Knue, who joined the Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent from Eastern Michigan in May, had an impressive preseason, catching nine passes for 86 yards and a touchdown. He also demonstrated his versatility by returning punts and kickoffs, racking up a combined 82 yards on special teams.
The practice squad elevation rule was a key element of the 2020 collective bargaining agreement. While it did not expand team rosters beyond the 53-player limit, it gave teams greater flexibility, especially in managing injuries and providing additional depth on game days.
