Buccaneers place Charles Sims on injured reserve

Buccaneers running back Charles Sims is headed to the injured reserve with a knee injury.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced running back Charles Sims was placed on the injured reserve. Sims went down with a knee injury in last week’s game against the Titans during a kickoff return and wasn’t able to practice all week.

In his four years with the Bucs, Sims has accumulated 2148 yards from scrimmage and eight touchdowns. He has filled the role as a third-down back with his ability to make plays in the passing game.

Entering camp, Sims was the veteran third-down option and faced fierce competition in Shaun Wilson, Jacquizz Rodgers and Dare Ogunbowale.

With Sims out of the picture, it opens up the door for another running back. Rodgers is in a great spot to make the team, but Wilson and Ogunbowale now have an easier path to make the final roster.

Last week, Ogunbowale caught a 38-yard pass from Ryan Griffin, and Wilson has been hyped up as Sims’ replacement throughout camp. His ability to make plays out of the backfield at Duke made him an obvious candidate.

This also bodes well for Peyton Barber and Ronald Jones. Both backs could see a slightly larger workload without a trusted pass catcher.

Sims’ future with the Bucs has now become unclear. Tampa Bay re-signed Sims to a one-year contract back in April, but his drop in production of late has made it hard to see him sticking with the Bucs in 2019.

The injury likely ends Sims’ time with the Bucs as he was placed on injured reserve prior to final cuts. Expect for him to get an injury settlement from the organization.