The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have dealt with a variety of absences this season due to COVID-19 and injuries. The Buccaneers were seemingly hit on defense particularly hard, as they were without as many as six starters on the defensive side of the ball at one point. However, with the playoffs around the corner and a date with the Philadelphia Eagles coming up, the Buccaneers received a mixed bag of updates, via ESPN's Adam Schefter, on defensive stars Shaq Barrett and Richard Sherman.

Per Schefter, the Buccaneers activated star pass-rusher Shaq Barrett off of the reserve/COVID list and placed injured cornerback Richard Sherman on IR. Certainly a mixed bag of updates for the Buccaneers ahead of their matchup with the Eagles.

It's great to get a star pass-rusher like Barrett back in the mix, though it hurts to lose Sherman, who was battling an Achilles injury, to the IR for the second time this season.

According to Buccaneers reporter Greg Auman, Sherman can't return this season, as it is his second stint on the IR. The star corner appeared in just five games for Tampa this year.

As for Barrett, the Buccaneers pass rush will get a much-needed boost ahead of the matchup with the Eagles. The star linebacker has 10 sacks for Tampa Bay this season, his second double-digit sack season in the last three years.

Despite losing Richard Sherman, the Buccaneers are slowly getting healthier after the update on Shaq Barrett, among others.