Bucs get hit with another dose of bad news regarding a key starter ahead of final playoff run
The Bucs are losing a starter in an area where they can’t afford to get any worse.
Things haven’t been going well lately on the field for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Bucs are losers of five of their last six games and now sit at .500 on the year at 7-7 after a deflating 29-28 come-from-way-ahead loss to the Atlanta Falcons last Thursday.
That said, despite Carolina having NFC South right there under their noses due to the Bucs’ collapse, the Panthers kicked the door wide open on Sunday for Tampa Bay to still win the division.
The Bucs will have to find a way to do it, however, without the services of one of their key starters on the defensive side of the ball. Per Bucs reporter Scott Smith, the team is putting starting CB Zyon McCollum on injured reserve on Monday.
Bucs putting starting cornerback Zyon McCollum on injured reserve
McCollum suffered a hip injury during the game against the Falcons. He was originally questionable to return, but it was quickly evident he was done when he started peeling off his equipment on the way to the tunnel while he was walking with a limp on the broadcast.
Smith notes that McCollum will be sidelined for at least four games through the end of the regular season, so that would indicate that he’s not technically done for the season. But as the Bucs have three regular season games remaining, the fourth game would come after the wild-card round of the playoffs.
The injury bug has been cruel to the Bucs this season, with four of five starters on the offensive line missing multiple games, and Bucky Irving, Mike Evans, Chris Godwin, Jalen McMillan, and Haason Reddick all missing chunks of the season to varying degrees. Now, the Bucs’ porous pass defense takes a hit it can’t afford to take with the loss of McCollum.
The Bucs will need Benjamin Morrison, Kindle Vidor, and the rest of the reserves to step up in his place and try to turn around a struggling defense with three games to play.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers News
Bucs address a problem roster area by bringing back a familiar face ahead of home stretch playoff run
Tampa Bay is reuniting with a veteran player in an area where they need to find answers.
