The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have a massive Week 15 contest with the Green Bay Packers on their schedule for Sunday afternoon, and the game could go a long way towards determining whether or not they end up in the playoffs this year. The Bucs may not be doing themselves any favors, though, as they have surprisingly ruled star linebacker Devin White out for this game as a healthy scratch.

White has been having another solid season for Tampa Bay (69 tackles, 2 sacks, 1 INT, 3 PD, 3 TFL, 6 QB Hits) despite entering the season looking for a new contract. White hasn't played in the Bucs past two games thanks to a foot injury, but he practiced all week, and it was made clear that his absence for this game against the Packers was not due to any sort of injury.

Via Stacey Dales:

“Per source I’m told Bucs LB Devin White will be inactive today. It is not injury related, as White was able to practice this week.”

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Devin White's future with the Buccaneers becomes murky once again

Tampa Bay Buccaneers Devin White trade

White requested a trade this past offseason, but considering how he played the first 11 games of the season without any sort of issue, it seemed like the two sides had put their differences behind them. Yet given the nature of White's absence, it looks like those problems have bubbled back to the surface, making his future with the team very cloudy for the time being.

This is a big decision for Tampa Bay that could have a number of serious repercussions, and while there's a lot to analyze when it comes to this decision, the focus for the time being needs to be focused on beating the Packers. They still have a good shot to do so, but it certainly would have been an easier task with White on the field rather than on the sidelines.