Buccaneers avoid a nightmare scenario after Payne Durham MRI results

It hasn't taken long for the injury bug to start eating away at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers roster this offseason.

Training camp opened just a few weeks ago, but already, the team has lost two players to season-ending injuries and might be without both Calijah Kancey and Yaya Diaby for the next few weeks. Adding to the pain, literally, was an injury to tight end Payne Durham that dampened things at joint practice on Wednesday afternoon.

Durham left practice with a knee injury and didn't return, later undergoing an MRI to see just how serious things were. As it turns out, the Bucs seem to have avoided a nightmare scenario, as early reports indicate that tests came back clean.

Latest Payne Durham injury update is good news for the Buccaneers

Buccaneers insider JC Allen reported late Wednesday night that Durham's MRI results were negative and he's not expected to miss much time.

It's still unclear if he'll suit up for Saturday's game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, but at the very least he's simply day-to-day.

Cade Otton is still expected to be the starting tight end on the final roster, but Durham is hoping to take a massive leap forward this training camp. He showed some Gronk-esque flashes last season in a small sample size, and the fourth-rounder pick has looked great so far in the preseason. Getting Otton and Durham to offer a one-two punch alongside an already strong receiver group would be a huge boost for Baker Mayfield in Year 2 in Tampa Bay.

Bucs fans are also no strangers to serious injuries in the second week of camp.

Last year, Tampa Bay lost Russell Gage for the season to a leg injury he suffered during a joint practice with the Jets. Durham seems to have avoided a worst-case scenario, but Bucs fans can't be blamed for flinching at the jump scare everyone endured on Wednesday.

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