Key Bucs free agent addition tears ACL in practice and will miss 2024 season

Despite another winning season and their fourth straight NFC South Division title, Tampa Bay was held down by one of the worst offensive lines in the league. Not only did the Bucs' offensive line earn a -4.95 grade from NFL Lines, the 26th best in the league, but they also allowed Baker Mayfield to hit 35 times and be sacked 40 times, both among career-highs for the seven-year veteran.

Bucs general manager Jason Licht made the offensive line a top priority in free agency and the NFL draft, adding several key players. Between the signings of Sua Opeta, Ben Bredeson, and Justin Skule in free agency, and the selections of Graham Barton and Elijah Klein in the NFL draft, Tampa Bay's offensive line is set to improve drastically in 2024.

During mandatory training camp, however, Tampa Bay received bad news regarding the current position of their offensive line, as Opeta went down during the middle of the period with what coach Todd Bowles described as a knee injury. While Opeta managed to get up and walk on his own power to the sideline, he was later examined by team trainers and taken to get treated for an apparent knee injury.

Sua Opeta out for season with torn ACL

Unfortunately, the knee injury wasn't as surface level as it initially appeared. According to ESPN's Jeremy Fowler, Opeta tore his ACL during Tuesday's workouts, and will be out for the entire 2024-2025 season.

This is quite a crushing blow to Tampa Bay, as Opeta was competing with Bredeson for the starting job at left guard on the offensive line. Now, it's likely that Bredeson will take over LG1 duties and Klein will move up in the depth chart with Opeta set to sit out this season.

The news is also a bad break for Opeta, who had his first true chance to start on the offenisve line in the NFL. Since signing with the Eagles as undrafted free agent from Weber State, Opeta played in 38 games and made ten starts at left and right guard over four seasons in Philadelphia.

Last season, Opeta made a career-high six starts, filling in at separate times for Cam Jurgens on the right side and Landon Dickerson on the left side. Opeta plated 527 offensive snaps overall, 59% of the Eagles' total, and helped Philadelphia rank eighth in total offense and rushing yards, and seventh in points scored.

At 27 years old, Opeta entered the offseason with a chance to serve as a plug-and-play starter for Tampa Bay on their offensive line, and projects to slot in at left or right guard following the departures of Robert Hainsley and Matt Felier. Per Wednesday's news, that won't be the case for Opeta after suffering his season-ending ACL tear.