With Josiah Trotter coming back, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers do get a boost on the defensive side of the football. But, with multiple starters sidelined, it will take a full team effort to pick up a victory.
The injury bug has hit the Tampa Bay Buccaneers hard through the opening three weeks, with Baker Mayfield, Rueben Bain Jr., and Jalen McMillan headlining the list of players set to miss Sunday's game.
With Tampa sitting at 0-3, and desperately needing a victory, players will be expected to step up and pick up the team's first victory of the season.
One big addition is rookie linebacker Josiah Trotter, who was a full participant in practice towards the end of the week, and will play against the Green Bay Packers after missing Week 3.
Trotter has been graded as one of the top rookies in the NFL through the early season, with his 81.9 metric ranking fourth in the NFL.
After becoming the first player in league history to record 10 or more tackles, a sack, and a pick-six in his debut, Trotter had another big day against the Cleveland Browns in Week 2.
The former Missouri standout led all players with 13 tackles, representing the only Tampa defender on the team with double-digit takedowns.
Tampa's defense was able to hold up without Trotter against the Minnesota Vikings, but adding him back is a huge boost.
The Packers' offense has struggled to this point, fronting the worst rushing attack in the NFL.
Having Trotter healthy won't make the road any easier for Green Bay, who is badly needing a victory, like the Bucs.
Throughout training camp, Trotter was hailed as a player who could come in and make an instant impact, with inside linebackers coach Mike Caldwell giving him the upmost praise.
"When you understand the talent that he has, the ceiling is high," Caldwell said. "There is no ceiling for him right now."
This is a big statement from Caldwell, who spent four seasons with franchise legend linebacker Lavonte David.
With David opting for retirement, Trotter has been a huge boost to the new-look linebacking corps.
Veteran linebacker Alex Anzalone has also underperformed to this point, after being brought in to be the veteran presence in the room.
Despite missing a week, Trotter's production has put him at least in the discussion for Defensive Rookie of the Year.
Bain was the Bucs' rookie thought to be one of the favorites for the award heading into the year, but Trotter has stolen the spotlight.
If he can rack up double-digit tackles in Week 4 and help Tampa get a much-needed victory, expect the talks to ramp back up about Trotter being a legitimate candidate for the award.
