Last year, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were forced to start most of the season without a key player, which might be the case again this year.
Calijah Kancey missed all of the preseason in his rookie year and only made it a few snaps into Week 1 before he needed to be held out with an injury. He eventually bounced back to become one of the most critical pieces of the Bucs defense, which has set the stage for a fantastic sophomore year.
Much like last year, though, there could be a bit of a delay.
Kancey was given an injury designation on Tampa Bay's final injury report before the weekend. What makes it troubling is that it was a late addition and it seems to be related to what he dealt with last season.
Calijah Kancey added to Buccaneers injury report ahead of Sunday vs. Commanders
It initially looked like the Bucs would be dealing with just one injury this weekend, with Logan Hall already being ruled out. Now Kancey has been added to the pile nobody wants him on, but it's not as cut-and-dry as with Hall.
Greg Auman very astutely calmed some fears by pointing out that Kancey is 'questionable' for Sunday which doesn't mean he's out.
With a late addition to the injury list like Kancey, important to note he’s questionable — which translates as “uncertain to play” — and not doubtful, which is “unlikely to play.”
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) September 6, 2024
Still, Kancey seems to be dealing with a calf injury similar to the one he had last season which makes this less ideal than it normally would be. It's already not great but hearing that it could be a lingering issue isn't exactly the way anyone wants to start the season.
All of this is skipping straight to worst case scenario, when Kancey hasn't been ruled out and could still play against the Commanders on Sunday. Given the gnarly conditions that are expected, though, it might be that we don't see him at full speed until next week against the
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