The injury bug continues to brutalize the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and this week it’s the defense that’s taking the hardest hit.

As the Bucs travel to Seattle to face Sam Darnold and the NFL’s No. 1 passing offense (yards per pass) in Week 5, they’ll be without five key players — including three members of the secondary.

🚨 Official Week 5 Inactives:

• RB Bucky Irving

• WR Mike Evans

• CB Jamel Dean

• CB Benjamin Morrison

• NB Christian Izien

Losing Irving and Evans guts the offense, but the real crisis lies in the defensive backfield. With Dean, Morrison, and Izien out, the Bucs’ secondary is paper-thin heading into a matchup with a high-octane Seahawks air attack.

🔄 Next Men Up: Unproven & Out of Position

Head coach Todd Bowles named Kindle Vildor, Josh Hayes, and rookie Jacob Parrish as potential fill-ins at outside corner. The catch? None of them are ideal fits:

• Parrish is a nickel by trade and will be forced out of position.

• Hayes has struggled in previous outside reps.

• Vildor, while experienced, just joined the team this year.

The team is also expected to elevate Bryce Hall from the practice squad. Hall knows the system and has starting experience, but is returning from a serious ankle injury that cost him most of last season.

🧩 A Patchwork Defense vs a Juggernaut Offense

The Seahawks have been torching secondaries all year, and now they get a chance to do it against what might be the most depleted cornerback unit in the NFL. Tampa Bay has played tough in every game this year, but holding Seattle in check without their top DBs will be nothing short of a miracle.

Can Bowles pull another rabbit out of the hat? Or will Sam Darnold have a career day against a skeleton crew?