Buccaneers OLB Shaquil Barrett's Knee Injury Isn't Considered Long-Term

The Buccaneers are used to injuries at key positions by now, but that doesn't mean the team looks at the most recent occurrences any differently than they did the previous ones.

Such is the case with the Bucs' newest member bitten by the injury bug. This time, it was Shaquil Barrett's name that was called on this particular Sunday against Carolina. Barrett left the game right before halftime when a teammate essentially fell into his knee and caused it to bend at an awkward angle. Barrett tried to come back in play after he left, but he couldn't stay on the field and was ruled out not too long after.

As of now, Barrett's injury is considered to be an MCL sprain that shouldn't be anything long-term, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. He will undergo further testing Monday in order to confirm the initial indications.

Initial indications are that Bucs’ standout pass rusher Shaq Barrett suffered an MCL sprain and “nothing long term”, per source. Further testing Monday.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 26, 2021

The fact that it's initially not considered long-term is early good news for the Bucs, who had to rule out Jason Pierre-Paul on Friday due to the multiple injuries he's been dealing with throughout the year. Losing Barrett would mean the Bucs are down both starting outside pass rushers for an unspecified amount of time.

Barrett leads the team with 10.0 sacks on the year and became just the fourth Buc in franchise history to have multiple season with 10+ sacks throughout their career. He joined Lee Roy Selmon, Warren Sapp, and Simeon Rice when he took down Cam Newton in the second quarter during Sunday's game against the Panthers.

Stay tuned to AllBucs for further coverage of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, and other NFL news and analysis. Follow along on social media at @SIBuccaneers on Twitter and Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Sports Illustrated on Facebook.

Add us as a preferred source on Google