Buccaneers' Julio Jones: Missing from another practice

Jones (knee/illness) wasn't spotted at Thursday's practice, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports.

Jones has thus opened Week 18 prep with two straight absences from practice, so he'll likely need to get back on the field in some capacity Friday to put himself in position to play Sunday against the Falcons. With the Buccaneers having already secured the NFC's No. 4 seed with no possibility of moving up or down in the standings regardless of how the Week 18 games transpires, veterans like Jones may hold only limited roles if active Sunday with the likelihood that head coach Todd Bowles prioritizes the health of key players heading into the playoffs above all else.