Antoine Winfield Jr. has run into additional damage hassle in 2024. The All-Professional security is predicted to overlook a number of weeks with a knee sprain, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles mentioned on Monday.
Winfield suffered an ankle and foot sprain in Week 1, and that damage led to missed time. After lacking 4 video games, the 26-year-old returned to the lineup and remained wholesome till taking place throughout Sunday’s recreation. His absence will as soon as once more be felt within the Tampa Bay secondary.
Over his first 4 seasons within the league, Winfield established himself as one of many league’s best defensive backs, and it got here as little shock when he obtained the franchise tag this offseason. That transfer was used to supply extra time for negotiations on a long-term deal, and in Could, the edges agreed to a four-year, $84.1M extension. The contract is essentially the most profitable one in NFL historical past for safeties.
The previous second-rounder has not loved as productive of a season as 2023, however Winfield has remained a full-time starter and a key member of the Bucs secondary when wholesome. He has amassed 60 tackles and a pair of sacks this yr, and whereas his protection statistics haven’t been spectacular, the staff might be short-handed down the stretch whereas trying to enhance towards the go. Tampa Bay is averaging 253 yards allowed by means of the air per recreation, which ranks thirtieth within the NFL.
Efforts to take a step ahead in that regard will rely upon different choices on the backend, though Winfield’s damage isn’t the one one the staff is coping with in the meanwhile. Fox Sports’ Greg Auman notes fellow security Jordan Whitehead will miss Week 15 whereas Mike Edwards‘ standing is within the air. That can go away Christian Izien and Kaevon Merriweather in place to deal with a big defensive workload in the meanwhile. Veteran Ryan Neal lately returned to Tampa Bay on a practice-squad deal.
The Buccaneers’ win on Sunday (coupled with a loss by the Falcons) has left them alone atop the NFC South. The 7-6 outfit nonetheless has loads of work down the stretch to do to clinch one other division title, and that course of won’t function Winfield in the meanwhile.