NO ROSTER EXEMPTION FOR BRYANT

Bucs kicker Matt Bryant’s infant son died this week, and it’s unclear whether Bryant will play on Sunday when Tampa Bay hosts the Packers. If he doesn’t play, the Bucs won’t receive a roster exemption, according to Chris Harry of the Orlando Sentinel. And so, if Bryant doesn’t play, the Bucs will have to acquire another kicker, cut a player already on the team, and deactivate Bryant for the Green Bay game. In our view, the league’s position on this indirectly puts unfair pressure on Bryant to play, since he’ll understandably feel guilty if he gets a game check for not working while one of his teammates gets canned. As Harry points out, teams get roster exemptions for players who are suspended. The same approach should apply when a player has undergone a personal tragedy like a death in his immediate family.