After a ton of positive injury news, the Buccaneers could be receiving some unexpected injury news concerning a player that many have thought would be out for the year.
Calijah Kancey, who had suffered a pectoral injury several weeks ago, has suddenly seen himself trending in a positive direction. During Friday practice, he was seen working out on a side field, as seen by Fox Sports’ Greg Auman, causing many to believe that Kancey’s return could be sooner than initially thought.
Encouraging Signs in Kancey’s Recovery
The thought of a player so explosive and strong and most importantly, young recovering this quickly from a pec injury has to be seen as highly encouraging. Had he truly been lost for the year, chances are a year’s loss of development could have been detrimental. Now the question turns from one of frustration to one of home for a playoff push.
Meanwhile, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles has been cautiously optimistic and he has largely left it in the hands of the trainers. With the progress he has made, while his return could occur later in the season, there is no rush as Kancey is one of their younger stars who deserves to be brought along instead of rushed back simply for a playoff push. Still, it’s the impact he can make should he return that can be tantalizing.
What a Return Would Mean for Tampa Bay’s Defense
Expected to make a second year leap that would really bolster the front seven, Kancey,s injury was a massive blow. Now, the Buccaneers have had to rely upon rotational play and blitz packages up front to try and generate pressure. A Kancey return would not only give the Bucs more options up front, but Kancey could bring much-needed pressure from the interior to perfectly complement the always lively Vita Vea.
The biggest questions though is whether or not Kancey will be the same player upon his return and whether or not he can stay on the field for extended periods of time. After all, this isn’t the first time that Kancey has been hit with injuries. He missed most of training camp in his rookie year with a calf strain and also missed most of the ’24 season with a similar injury as well. When he’s on the field however, he has been one of, if not the most pivotal defensive players for the Buccaneers. He was their sakcs leader in 2024 diespite the five contests he missed with 7.5 and has posted 55 tackles, 11.5 sacks, 22 tackles for loss, one forced fumble, and a pass breakup in his short NFL career. Those stats are made ever more impressive by the fact that he hasn’t had a full season.
Still, it’s important to remember that Kancey is someone who factors into the long term future of this team. He can’t afford many many more injuries if he wishes to be one of the Bucs’ best defensive players over the next few years. Only time will tell whether or not that can happen, but for now, Bucs fans should be happy about his imminent return.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Buccaneers Could Get Unexpected Reinforcement on Defense appeared first on Heavy Sports.