It’s easy to look at a preseason game and say it doesn’t matter. The starters only play for a bit and everything is pretty vanilla. No exhibition game is going to be mistaken for an instant classic.
But these games are still significant to many. For some players, the preseason is their first taste of the NFL. For others, it’s a chance to compete for a roster spot. But in the case of second-year Buccaneers linebacker Jack Cichy, Friday’s win over the Dolphins at Raymond James Stadium was noteworthy because it was his first football game in nearly 10 months.