Prepared to miss more seasons than he has played thus far in his career, Tampa Bay Buccaneers linebacker Kendell Beckwith may never play again.
In a day where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got both linebacker Lavonte David and defensive tackle Vita Vea back from knee injuries, it was not all good news. Uncertainty has surrounded linebacker Kendell Beckwith since the Spring of 2018, and now it looks like his future is becoming a bit more clear; unfortunately for the Buccaneers, it is sad news indeed.
ESPN’s Jenna Laine tweeted out today that she has been told that linebacker Kendell Beckwith is “likely done with football.” Beckwith was placed on the Injured Reserve/Non-Football Injury List in May, ending his chances at playing in the 2019 season, and it appears he may never play again.
Beckwith was involved in a car accident now over a year ago and is going to miss his second straight season as he is still not healed up. Sadly, it looks like he may never play again if Laine’s sources are correct; in fact, Beckwith’s injury and unclear future was a large reason the Buccaneers selected Devin White with the fifth overall pick in the draft last April.
Unfortunately for the Buccaneers, as the former third round pick in Beckwith was off to a fast start to his career after a promising rookie season. In 2017, Beckwith tallied 60 solo tackles, seven tackles behind the line of scrimmage, two hits on the quarterback, and one sack as a rookie for the Buccaneers. He was given 11 starts as a rookie in the pewter and red and appeared in all 16 games.
It is unlikely that head coach Bruce Arians and defensive coordinator Todd Bowles were planning on Beckwith’s contribution and could read the writing on the wall, but it is still sad to have this information verified. With David and White leading the charge at inside linebacker, the Buccaneers are unshaken with this news, but for Beckwith, a promising career looks to be over.