Buccaneers put Jalen McMillan on IR and add quarterback depth

The Buccaneers placed Jalen McMillan on injured reserve Wednesday, removing the receiver for at least four games while making two additional moves around an offense already preparing to play without Baker Mayfield. Tampa Bay promoted safety Ifeatu Melifonwu to the active roster and signed quarterback Brett Rypien to the practice squad.

McMillan injured his knee on the third offensive play of Sunday's loss to Minnesota and did not return, the team said. He had also missed the season opener with a knee injury and played limited snaps in Week 2. He has no receptions this season.

ESPN's Jenna Laine reported earlier this week that the injury was a sprained PCL in his left knee and that the initial expectation was a six-to-eight-week absence. Wednesday's IR placement establishes the minimum four-game absence; it does not set a confirmed return date within that reported recovery range.

The quarterback addition comes with Mayfield expected to miss at least three games because of his right thumb injury. Undrafted rookie Jalon Daniels is set to start against Green Bay. Easton Stick, also on the practice squad, is expected to be the primary reserve, according to the Buccaneers.

Rypien adds another available passer to that arrangement. Signing him to the practice squad does not place him on Sunday's active roster or change the announced starter. The team can work with him while Daniels prepares for the Packers and Mayfield remains unavailable.

Melifonwu's promotion addresses a different roster constraint. Tampa Bay had elevated him from the practice squad for each of its first three games, using the maximum number of temporary elevations allowed for a player with one team in a season. The active-roster move makes continued game participation possible without another temporary elevation.

Together, the moves show Tampa Bay managing three separate needs: McMillan's absence, quarterback depth and a defender who had reached his elevation limit. They do not announce a replacement receiver's workload, another quarterback switch or a timetable for McMillan beyond the IR requirement.