Skip to content
Eagles
Link copied to clipboard

Bucs' Morris not sure Jackson will play against Eagles

TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa Bay's Tanard Jackson is practicing again after serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

TAMPA, Fla. - Tampa Bay's Tanard Jackson is practicing again after serving a four-game suspension for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

The third-year safety is eligible to be activated for Sunday's game at Philadelphia, however coach Raheem Morris said yesterday a final decision has not been made on whether he'll play against the Eagles.

A fourth-round draft pick in 2007, Jackson is the only defensive player in franchise history to start every game in his first two seasons. His suspension was announced during training camp and further weakened a secondary that was already relying on two new young starters.

While he was out, the Bucs lost veteran safety Jermaine Phillips for the season with a broken thumb and have yielded six pass plays of 40-plus yards - five of them for touchdowns.

"I'd like to think I could have made a difference," said Jackson, who returned to practice on Wednesday.

"It's good to see him back . . . I'm sure it was hard enough on him watching this team lose football games without being here," Morris said.

"We don't have to make a decision until the end of the week whether he's going to be up this week or not. We've got the one-game exemption. But we'll go to the end of the week and see whether he's ready to play or not, and how good a shape he's in."

When Jackson rejoins the lineup, sixth-year pro Will Allen will return to the bench and restore some of the depth the Bucs have lacked safety since Phillips, who began training camp at weakside linebacker, was injured on Sept. 20.