The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have run into plenty of injury problems, and the last thing they need is more — unfortunately, that’s just what they got on Thursday once the team’s injury report went out.
Bucs star defensive tackle Vita Vea, one of the line’s most commanding presences, fully practiced on Wednesday ahead of Tampa Bay’s game against the New Orleans Saints. On Thursday, though, he did not practice, and he was added to the injury report with a foot injury — that designation makes him the only real question mark for Sunday’s game.
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea (50) warms up before a game against the San Francisco 49ers. / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
It’s likely that this isn’t a new injury that Vea has suddenly picked up. Unless it is the other foot, Vea also dealt with a foot injury at the very beginning of the year in the first week of the season. He didn’t practice for the first two practices before the Bucs faced off against the Atlanta Falcons, but he did practice on that Friday and would end up playing in that game.
Vea has been a notable contributor to Tampa Bay’s line, so the Bucs will want him in. Per PFF, Vea has 19 pressures and two sacks in the pass-rushing game and has 10 defensive stops included in his 12 total tackles. Vea is a large defensive tackle that draws frequent double teams, and his ability to do so has allowed players like Elijah Roberts, who the Bucs drafted late this year, to flourish.4
There’s still a chance Vea can go on Sunday, as he played through his foot injury in Week 1. If he doesn’t, though, nose tackle Greg Gaines could get quite a few more reps where Vea would be absent, and he would be yet another player who would have to step up in more of a full-time role. The Bucs could also turn to Elijah Simmons, another large defensive tackle whom the team signed from the Arizona Cardinals’ practice squad this year.
The Bucs will hope that isn’t the case, though. With edge rusher Haason Reddick already out for what seems like a few weeks at least, the Bucs’ line is depleted and would like to avoid suffering any more casualties as the season goes on.
The Buccaneers play the Saints at 4:05 p.m. on Sunday in New Orleans for the first of their two divisional matchups this year.
