LB · #45 · Tampa Bay Buccaneers · week 8 vs Atlanta Falcons · Sun Nov 1 · 1:00 PM ET

Josiah Trotter

ROLE a starter
CLASS 2026 · R2 P46
EXP 0 seasons
AGE under 25
DEPTH RILB1

97%PLAY EXPECTED

As of week 8, Josiah Trotter was an LB for TB, age 21.4, a rookie, drafted in round 2. In 2026 through week 7 he was listed at depth rank 1 on his club's depth chart; he had played 6 games on 92% of snaps; his line was 10.2 tackles a game, 0.2 sacks a game and 0.5 passes defended a game. His injury history held 2 episodes (knee 1, shoulder 1), 1 of them reaching OUT; the last was a shoulder injury in 2026 week 7.

The full read

In short

How our call moved in week 8

100500

74%74%84%84%84%99%97%97%97%97%97%97%97%97%97%97%

Wed 4:50 PM ETSun 11:02 AM ET

our call, P(plays)

74% LIKELY → 97% EXPECTED

Every call we wrote for him in week 8, earliest first, as written.

In short

Josiah Trotter is a starter at right inside linebacker for TB — 100% of the snaps in his best week of 7. He has an illness injury. His team named him inactive in week 3. In week 8 he did not practise, then practised in full. His team has not listed him on the final report. We say he plays — 97%, in a band that plays 94% of the time. We have said PLAY since 93 hours before kickoff. We called him PLAY in week 3 and he did not play.

The reader concurs · grade B

The club's own Thursday report for this exact game (Week Eight vs. Atlanta) upgrades Trotter from Wednesday's illness DNP to full participation (P1: "both Josiah Trotter (illness) and Yaya Diaby (illness) upgraded to full participation"), superseding the Wednesday line (P2: "LB Josiah Trotter (illness) - DNP (Wed.)").

What the read cites

	What was reported	Source
1	“both Josiah Trotter (illness) and Yaya Diaby (illness) upgraded to full participation”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · 2026-10-29
2	“LB Josiah Trotter (illness) - DNP (Wed.)”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · 2026-10-28

The reader's full reasoning

The rest of the reading

Nothing in either passage attaches a game-status designation to him, and an illness that clears to full by the second practice day is the ordinary profile of a starter who plays. The only gap is that no Friday or Saturday source is in hand, so the evidence leans clearly rather than settles — but nothing written contradicts the PLAY call.

16versions in week 8

10average, every player

54most for one player

How the call moved

EXPECTED since Thu Oct 29 · 5:05 PM ET · 69 h before kickoff. Biggest move: 84% → 99%, Thu Oct 29 · 12:05 PM ET to Thu Oct 29 · 5:05 PM ET, with no club report in between.

Our call

Injury report

Our call · week 8

NOT EXPECTEDUNLIKELYCOIN FLIPLIKELYEXPECTED

97% · EXPECTED

we expect him to play — this band plays 94% of the time (92–96%), measured out of fold. We stand behind this one.

Practice in week 8

Fri	Thu	Wed
FPdated Fri Oct 30	FPdated Fri Oct 30	DNPdated Fri Oct 30

Shape of the week: improving. Only days the publisher dated are shown; a day we could not date is left out until the nightly sweep stamps it. The shape is a fact, not a forecast.

Head start

Our call Wed Oct 28 · 4:50 PM ET
Kickoff Sun Nov 1 · 1:00 PM ET

The evidence behind his current call

What was reported	Source
“both Josiah Trotter (illness) and Yaya Diaby (illness) upgraded to full participation”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29
“On Thursday for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, both Josiah Trotter (illness) and Yaya Diaby (illness) upgraded to full participation.”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29

From the same articles (these quotes do not name him)

What was reported	Source
“A look at Thursday's injury report ahead of the Week Eight matchup”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29

Stats, with ranges — dot = his average, bar = his game range

Tackles / game9.6 range 6.0–13
wk 1–8 · 7 games · above most of his peers
Sacks / game0.1 range 0.0–1.0
wk 1–8 · 7 games
Passes defended / game0.4 range 0.0–1.0
wk 1–8 · 7 games
Snap share90.9% range 83–100
wk 1–8 · 7 games

Snaps by week — his larger of the offence and defence share

91%wk 1
83%wk 2
83%wk 4
98%wk 5
100%wk 6
96%wk 7
85%wk 8

Missed while on the injury report

Season	Weeks on the report	Missed while listed
2026	6	1

Only the weeks he was on the injury report with a recorded result — not every game of his career.

Medical history

When	Injury	Weeks on a report	Worst status
2026 · wk 8	illness	1	—
2026 · wk 5	knee	2	Questionable
2026 · wk 3	shoulder	3	Out

Every injury episode on file for him, as the record holds it.

Injury history by season · 3 episodes · 6 weeks on a report

2026

illness · 1wknee · 2wshoulder · 3w

Weeks 1–18

ruled out
questionable
listed, and played

Each bar is one episode: the week it began and how many weeks he was on a report, coloured by the worst status.

The rest of his team's report in week 8

Player	Pos	Practice	Whose word	Call	Chance he plays	Band
A'Shawn Robinson	DT	FULL	ours	PLAY	99%	EXPECTED
Chris Godwin Jr.	WR	FULL	ours	PLAY	99%	EXPECTED
Baker Mayfield	QB	FULL	ours	PLAY	98%	EXPECTED
Antoine Winfield Jr.	S	FULL	ours	PLAY	99%	EXPECTED
Kenny Gainwell	RB	FULL	team's word	Questionable
Luke Goedeke	T	LTD	team's word	Questionable
Luke Haggard	G	UNK	team's word	Out
Josh Hayes	DB	UNK	team's word	—
Yaya Diaby	LB	FULL	ours	PLAY	99%	EXPECTED
Bucky Irving	RB	FULL	ours	PLAY	99%	EXPECTED
Graham Barton	C	UNK	team's word	Questionable
Emeka Egbuka	WR	DNP	team's word	Out
DeMonte Capehart	DT	UNK	team's word	Out
Billy Schrauth	G	UNK	team's word	Out
Ayden Garnes	CB	UNK	team's word	Out

The model reads the room: who else is out shifts what his own designation is worth.

The evidence behind his earlier calls

The evidence behind the call made Wed Oct 28 · 4:50 PM ET

We have not read the news for this player this week.

The evidence behind the call made Wed Oct 28 · 5:02 PM ET

We have not read the news for this player this week.

The evidence behind the call made Thu Oct 29 · 2:10 AM ET

We read the news; nothing was attributed.

The evidence behind the call made Thu Oct 29 · 7:02 AM ET

We read the news; nothing was attributed.

The evidence behind the call made Thu Oct 29 · 12:05 PM ET

We read the news for this call. The quotes we found are not shown publicly.

The evidence behind the call made Thu Oct 29 · 5:05 PM ET

We read the news for this call. The quotes we found are not shown publicly.

The evidence behind the call made Fri Oct 30 · 2:10 AM ET

We read the news for this call. The quotes we found are not shown publicly.

The evidence behind the call made Fri Oct 30 · 7:05 AM ET

We read the news for this call. The quotes we found are not shown publicly.

The evidence behind the call made Fri Oct 30 · 12:05 PM ET

What was reported	Source
“On Thursday for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, both Josiah Trotter (illness) and Yaya Diaby (illness) upgraded to full participation.”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29
“LB Josiah Trotter (illness) - DNP (Wed.)”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Wed Oct 28

From the same articles (these quotes do not name him)

What was reported	Source
“A look at Thursday's injury report ahead of the Week Eight matchup”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29

The evidence behind the call made Fri Oct 30 · 5:02 PM ET

What was reported	Source
“On Thursday for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, both Josiah Trotter (illness) and Yaya Diaby (illness) upgraded to full participation.”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29
“LB Josiah Trotter (illness) - DNP (Wed.)”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Wed Oct 28

From the same articles (these quotes do not name him)

What was reported	Source
“A look at Thursday's injury report ahead of the Week Eight matchup”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29

The evidence behind the call made Sat Oct 31 · 2:10 AM ET

What was reported	Source
“On Thursday for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, both Josiah Trotter (illness) and Yaya Diaby (illness) upgraded to full participation.”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29
“LB Josiah Trotter (illness) - DNP (Wed.)”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Wed Oct 28

From the same articles (these quotes do not name him)

What was reported	Source
“A look at Thursday's injury report ahead of the Week Eight matchup”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29

The evidence behind the call made Sat Oct 31 · 7:05 AM ET

What was reported	Source
“On Thursday for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, both Josiah Trotter (illness) and Yaya Diaby (illness) upgraded to full participation.”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29
“LB Josiah Trotter (illness) - DNP (Wed.)”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Wed Oct 28

From the same articles (these quotes do not name him)

What was reported	Source
“A look at Thursday's injury report ahead of the Week Eight matchup”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29

The evidence behind the call made Sat Oct 31 · 12:02 PM ET

What was reported	Source
“both Josiah Trotter (illness) and Yaya Diaby (illness) upgraded to full participation”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29
“On Thursday for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, both Josiah Trotter (illness) and Yaya Diaby (illness) upgraded to full participation.”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29

From the same articles (these quotes do not name him)

What was reported	Source
“A look at Thursday's injury report ahead of the Week Eight matchup”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29

The evidence behind the call made Sat Oct 31 · 5:06 PM ET

What was reported	Source
“both Josiah Trotter (illness) and Yaya Diaby (illness) upgraded to full participation”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29
“On Thursday for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, both Josiah Trotter (illness) and Yaya Diaby (illness) upgraded to full participation.”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29

From the same articles (these quotes do not name him)

What was reported	Source
“A look at Thursday's injury report ahead of the Week Eight matchup”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29

The evidence behind the call made Sun Nov 1 · 6:06 AM ET

What was reported	Source
“both Josiah Trotter (illness) and Yaya Diaby (illness) upgraded to full participation”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29
“On Thursday for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, both Josiah Trotter (illness) and Yaya Diaby (illness) upgraded to full participation.”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29

From the same articles (these quotes do not name him)

What was reported	Source
“A look at Thursday's injury report ahead of the Week Eight matchup”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29

The evidence behind the call made Sun Nov 1 · 11:02 AM ET

What was reported	Source
“both Josiah Trotter (illness) and Yaya Diaby (illness) upgraded to full participation”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29
“On Thursday for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, both Josiah Trotter (illness) and Yaya Diaby (illness) upgraded to full participation.”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29

From the same articles (these quotes do not name him)

What was reported	Source
“A look at Thursday's injury report ahead of the Week Eight matchup”	Tampa Bay Buccaneers · Thu Oct 29

Role

Call history

The data behind this page — the timeline in words, every call and week on record, about him, and what this page does not show

Profile — as of week 8


Role	LB1 · 92% snaps
Season	2026 · 6 games through wk 7
Per game	10.2 tackles · 0.2 sacks · 0.5 passes defended
Injuries	2 episodes · last: shoulder, 2026 wk 7
Bio	age 21.4 · rookie · drafted round 2

Where the profile comes from

Built from: honors.db; nflverse injuries_2026.csv; medical.db; nflverse players.csv; profile.db; nflverse roster_2026.csv; nflverse roster_weekly_2026.csv; nflverse snap_counts_2026.csv; nflverse stats_player_week_2026.csv. Every number in it is one those sources hold.

nflverse injuries_2026.csv

About him

About him	As the record holds it
His role	a starter at right inside linebacker — 100% of the snaps in his best week of 7
Listed on the depth chart	first at right inside linebacker
Snaps played	91% a week on average over 7 weeks, 100% at his highest, 33% on special teams
Build	6 ft 2 in · 237 lb
College	Missouri
Drafted	2026, round 2 pick 46, by TB
Age	under 25 at the season's start
Experience	0 seasons

When this call was made, and when the world knew

Wed Oct 28 · 4:50 PM ETWrittenWe first said PLAY.
Sun Nov 1 · 1:00 PM ETPublicOur call became public when the week settled.
Sun Nov 1 · 1:00 PM ETKickoffKickoff.

How our call moved, earliest first

When	Lead	Call	Chance he plays	Band	On what
Wed Oct 28 · 4:50 PM ET	93 h	PLAY	74%	LIKELY	after his team's announcement
Wed Oct 28 · 5:02 PM ET	93 h	PLAY	74%	LIKELY	after his team's announcement
Thu Oct 29 · 2:10 AM ET	84 h	PLAY	84%	LIKELY	after his team's announcement
Thu Oct 29 · 7:02 AM ET	79 h	PLAY	84%	LIKELY	after his team's announcement
Thu Oct 29 · 12:05 PM ET	74 h	PLAY	84%	LIKELY	after his team's announcement
Thu Oct 29 · 5:05 PM ET	69 h	PLAY	99%	EXPECTED	before his team said anything
Fri Oct 30 · 2:10 AM ET	60 h	PLAY	97%	EXPECTED	before his team said anything
Fri Oct 30 · 7:05 AM ET	55 h	PLAY	97%	EXPECTED	before his team said anything
Fri Oct 30 · 12:05 PM ET	50 h	PLAY	97%	EXPECTED	before his team said anything
Fri Oct 30 · 5:02 PM ET	45 h	PLAY	97%	EXPECTED	before his team said anything
Sat Oct 31 · 2:10 AM ET	36 h	PLAY	97%	EXPECTED	before his team said anything
Sat Oct 31 · 7:05 AM ET	31 h	PLAY	97%	EXPECTED	before his team said anything
Sat Oct 31 · 12:02 PM ET	26 h	PLAY	97%	EXPECTED	before his team said anything
Sat Oct 31 · 5:06 PM ET	21 h	PLAY	97%	EXPECTED	before his team said anything
Sun Nov 1 · 6:06 AM ET	7 h	PLAY	97%	EXPECTED	before his team said anything
Sun Nov 1 · 11:02 AM ET	2 h	PLAY	97%	EXPECTED	before his team said anything

16 calls in week 8, and the call never flipped between PLAY and SIT. Each lead time is the one that call actually had when it was written — never recounted from now. A call that changes is the record working: new evidence arrived and we said so, in public, before the game.

What would change this read

What would change this read
Friday Oct 30 Buccaneers injury report participation line for Trotter and the official Week Eight game-status designation (Out/Doubtful/Questionable/none) for the Nov 1 Falcons game
Any Todd Bowles remark Fri/Sat about Trotter's illness recurring or his availability vs. Atlanta
Saturday Oct 31 practice-squad elevation list — whether Tampa Bay elevated a linebacker, which would hint at a Trotter absence
Sunday Nov 1 inactives list / pregame report for Trotter

We went and found out more

Rank 1 (listed first on his depth chart), 12 documents deep, because: llm_unsure. Fetched 10 of 10.

Named inactive in week 3

The team's own list. We held it before kickoff, so it could have informed a call. Matched to him by his player id.