As if the Bucs weren’t already dealing with enough injuries, another key starter was injured in Sunday’s 20-16 win over the Lions. Nose tackle Vita Vea injured her knee early in the second half, missed the game and was seen in the locker room after the game with a knee brace on.
Buccaneers DT Vita Vea is wearing a brace on her right knee but is standing on both feet.
— JennaLaineESPN (@JennaLaineESPN) September 15, 2024
Injuries Due to friendly attacksBuccaneers outside linebacker Yaya Diaby collided with Bear’s knee.
The play here is #Buccaneers NT Vita Vea is injured. Yaya Diaby came around on the loop and seemed to have hit his knee. Not a good situation. pic.twitter.com/yT3X1JArtN
— J.C. Allen (@JCAllenNFL) September 15, 2024
The injury looked pretty severe when it occurred, and it was soon discovered that Vita Via would be out for the rest of the afternoon’s match, but the initial news regarding Vita Via’s knee injury seemed positive all things considered.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero (as well as other outlets) reported Sunday evening that Bear appears to have suffered a sprained MCL, with Pelissero noting there’s some optimism the injury isn’t too serious, as the veteran tackle is scheduled to undergo an MRI on Monday in Tampa.
Still, this is tough for Bear, who worked hard all offseason to stay healthy and in shape so he can continue to play for the team, and it’s especially tough that this injury came on an unexpected play.
Tampa Bay’s defense held its own in Bear’s absence and still pulled out a win on Sunday, but there’s no denying his impact, which was evident relatively quickly as Detroit found success on the ground in the second half after the No. 50’s biggest name left the game.
Vita Vea’s injury is the latest concern for the Buccaneers
The Buccaneers are 2-0 for the fourth straight season and will return to Raymond James Stadium in Week 3 to take on the 0-2 Broncos. That’s good news.
But Tampa Bay’s two season-opening victories came at a big cost in terms of injuries. The team entered Week 1 without defensive tackles Kalijah Kansey and Logan Hall, and in the season opener against the Commanders, All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr., No. 2 cornerback Zion McCollum, No. 3 cornerback Bryce Hall and No. 4 cornerback Josh Hayes were all injured.
To make matters worse, right tackle Luke Goedeke entered the concussion protocol this week, causing him to miss Sunday’s Week 2 win at Detroit. And even though Logan Hall and Zion McCollum returned for this week’s win, Winfield is out for a few more weeks, Hall likely will miss the rest of the season, and Hayes may not return for a few more weeks. Kangxi will not be in a rush to return. Recovering from a calf injury.
Add in Vita Vea’s knee injury and the Buccaneers’ injury situation is less than ideal, even if it’s not a worst-case scenario. Even if the MRI results come back and confirm Vea’s MCL sprain, Tampa Bay is still figuring out how long they’ll be without both Vea and Cansey on the defensive line. As much as the team’s secondary depth was tested on Sunday, the defensive line’s depth will be tested even more going forward.
Tampa Bay will look to improve to 3-0 next Sunday against Denver, but the team is also hoping to get through that game without any more bad injury news. There have been plenty of problems so far and Todd Bowles’ squad seems capable of overcoming them, but with the toughest stretch of the schedule just a few weeks away, it would be nice to have some good news.