In a recent press conference Coach Koetter was asked about the status of Noah Spence, since there have been rumors swirling about why he has been inactive. Koetter explained that they have to make these decisions each week depending on who they think will give them the “best chances to win THAT game”, and that it doesn’t mean the player has regressed or isn’t working hard.
He was also asked whether or not Spence is a special teams player.
“He works at, he is working at it; he’s not a starter on any special teams right now.”
Also adding…
“We’re not down on Noah, he is working extremely hard to work on the things that we have asked him to work on. It’s not about not trying hard enough, not working hard enough, not caring enough. But, you know, we’re going to make the decisions that we think give us the best chance each week we have to.”
Pewter Report posted an interview with Spence on Twitter, Tuesday, where Spence said, “When I talk to coach its not more of the football aspect of it, it’s more mental.” Stating that he needs to not be “so much in my head.” (Tweet can be found HERE)
There has been a lot of speculation on whether or not Noah will soon be cut or traded this season, however, it sounds to me like he is working hard to get to where he needs to be to make the game day roster, and that he has the support of Coach Koetter and the team. I wouldn’t worry too much just yet about his future with the Buccaneers.
There’s no word yet on whether or not he will be active for week 3.
The full press conference for full context and citing of quotes can be found HERE.
