Tampa Bay cornerback Brian Kelly will miss the remainder of the season with a toe injury that already had sidelined him for most of the year. "It's a big, big loss for us," coach Jon Gruden said Wednesday after the ninth-year pro was placed on injured reserve.

A disappointment in Houston, cornerback Phillip Buchanon will get an opportunity to jump-start his NFL career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Seeking help for an injury-depleted secondary, the Bucs signed the former first-round pick of the Oakland Raiders on Tuesday with hopes of getting more out of him than the Texans did after paying a hefty price in 2005.

Bucaneers cornerback Brian Kelly received several inquiries about a report that he was on the trading block. The ninth-year veteran's name appeared in a report by Fox Sports' Jay Glazer. With Tuesday's trade deadline approaching, rumors are starting to run rampant. "It is what it is," Kelly said. "I guess they've got two more days for speculation, so I'll let [the phone] ring." Glazer also indicated DT Anthony McFarland could be traded. "I've never responded to Web site rumors," Bucs GM Bruce Allen said. "We like our team. The reason we brought back our team is we like our team."

Opting for a one-year deal and the possibility of a bigger windfall later, Chris Simms declined an offseason contract offer from the Bucs that included $10-million in guaranteed money, the quarterback confirmed Wednesday. ?It was good money, definitely. But I was rolling the dice,?? said Simms, who has since had a splenectomy and is sidelined for the foreseeable future. ?I have no regrets. ?I?m human, and I do (feel regretful) about some things from time to time, but I try not to dwell on it and stay positive. If I do think about things like that, I try to use them as motivation and not let them bring me down.?

Reggie Bush finally got into the end zone for the first time as an NFL player -- and at a critical time. Bush, the New Orleans Saints' rookie running back, scored his first touchdown as a pro on a 65-yard punt return with under five minutes remaining to give the Saints a 24-21 lead over Tampa Bay on Sunday. New Orleans went on to win by that same score.

Tampa Bay quarterback Chris Simms was released from St. Joseph's Hospital over the weekend, less than a week after undergoing surgery to remove a ruptured spleen.