The Buccaneers lost one of their starting players to a serious injury during the game. Training camp practice on Tuesday night. Su’a Opeta, who was competing with Ben Bredeson for the starting left guard position, tore his anterior cruciate ligament during practice and will be out this year.
The news was first reported by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
#Buccaneers According to sources, OG Su’a Opeta suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament during training camp this week.
Opeta signed with the Buccaneers as a free agent and was injured during practice on Tuesday.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) July 31, 2024
Buccaneers offensive linemen Su’a Opeta and Ben Bredeson – Photo: Cliff Welch/PR
Opeta was competing for the starting left guard position, but Bredeson was considered the incumbent favorite until the first week of training camp. The Philadelphia Eagles forward signed a one-year, $1.375 million contract as a free agent. The 6-foot-4, 305-pound Opeta, known for his run-blocking, received a lower signing bonus than Bredeson.
Bredeson, a former Baltimore and New York Giants player, signed a one-year contract with Tampa Bay this offseason that carries a salary cap hit of $2.98 million. He has experience playing both guard and center and is noticeably big at 6-foot-5 and weighs 315 pounds.
The team is expected to place Opeta on injured reserve in the coming days, which would free up space for Tampa Bay to sign another player.
With Su’a Opeta out, who will the Bucks use at left guard?
Buccaneers’ G. Su’a Opeta – Photo courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Rookie Ben Bredeson was the leading competitor at left guard, but the team may want to give him some competition following Su’a Opeta’s season-ending ACL injury. Rookie Elijah Klein has been working more at right guard behind starter Cody Mauch, but could see more time at left guard with Opeta out.
They could also add Robert Hainsey at left guard as the likely backup center to rookie Graham Burton. Burton, a first-round draft pick out of Tampa Bay, is expected to claim the starting center spot, while Hainsey has two years’ worth of starting experience at center over the past two seasons.
Tampa Bay’s other guards Roster Other players who could potentially add depth to the roster after Opeta’s injury include Avery Jones and Xavier Delgado, while Brandon Walton, who has seen increased playing time as a backup right tackle, could also compete for a spot at guard due to his flexibility at the position.
