Buccaneers Starting WR Leaves Vikings Game With Knee Injury

The Buccaneers are down a wide receiver early against the Vikings...

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan (11) participates in training camp at AdventHealth Training Center. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers need all the help they can get to avoid a 0-3 start, and during Sunday's game against the Minnesota Vikings, the Bucs lost one of their starting wide receivers early on in the game.

Wide receiver Jalen McMillan went down on the field during Tampa Bay's opening offensive drive after failing to catch a pass on third down. McMillan walked off the field with trainers, but he entered the locker room not long after.

UPDATE: McMillan has officially been ruled out with his knee injury and will not return to the game.

Jalen McMillan Headed to Locker Room With Knee Injury

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Jalen McMillan (11) participates in training camp | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

McMillan returned to the team in Week 2 after a knee injury kept him out for a large part of training camp. He only played seven snaps during Week 2, and he was expected to have a bigger target share in Week 3 against the Vikings.

Now, McMillan is questionable to return with a knee injury at the time of writing. It's unknown if this is the same knee, but he will be a player to monitor as the Buccaneers continue their game against the Vikings.

McMillan missed most of last season with a neck injury he suffered during the preseason. The season before, McMillan had eight touchdowns under offensive coordinator Liam Coen during his rookie year.

With McMillan out, the Buccaneers will have to turn to Emeka Egbuka, Ted Hurst, Chris Godwin and Tez Johnson to continue to carry the load. That group of four has mostly been playing without McMillan for the whole season so far with him out, and that will continue after McMillan's knee injury should it keep him out for the rest of the game.

So far in this game, that group has already stepped out. Hurst caught a touchdown on Tampa Bay's second offensive drive to give the Bucs seven points — that was Hurst's first touchdown of his NFL career. Hurst can play outside as a prototypical X wideout, which can help replace McMillan throughout the game.

At the time of writing, the Vikings are ahead of the Buccaneers 10-7 with 6:44 left to go in the first quarter.

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