The Tampa Bay Buccaneers dropped a bombshell on their injury report, with kicker Chase McLaughlin officially sidelined due to a right groin/hip injury. The immediate problem? The Bucs do not even have a practice squad backup ready to go, meaning they are scrambling big time to find a kicker for their Thursday night game. This isn’t just a minor tweak; this could seriously shake up their special teams.
Why This Is a Huge Problem for Thursday Night
Let’s talk about Chase McLaughlin for a second: the dude has been money this season. Seriously, he’s made every single one of his nine field goal attempts, including a monstrous 59-yard bomb. Plus, he’s been perfect on all seven of his PATs. That’s a kicker you can depend on, a kicker who puts points on the board when it matters. Losing that kind of reliability, especially when you have zero depth at the position, is a massive blow. The Bucs have to sign a kicker, like, right now if McLaughlin can’t suit up, and finding someone reliable on such short notice is a huge ask.
The Rest of the Bucs’ Injury Woes
McLaughlin wasn’t the only addition to the injury report after Tuesday’s walkthrough. Outside linebacker Anthony Nelson also landed on the list as a non-participant due to an illness. On the brighter side, linebacker Josiah Trotter, who was limited Monday with a knee issue, got upgraded to a full participant. That’s a small win, but it hardly makes up for the kicker situation.
A bunch of other key players are still out of practice, which isn’t great news for their depth either. Linebacker SirVocea Dennis is still battling an ankle/foot injury, quarterback Baker Mayfield is dealing with a right thumb issue, cornerback Benjamin Morrison has a quad problem, and safety Antoine Winfield Jr. is out with a rib injury. Tight end Ko Kieft was limited for a second day with an elbow issue, while rookie outside linebacker Rueben Bain Jr. was a full participant again despite a groin/shoulder problem. It’s a long list, and while some of these guys might play, the most pressing concern for the Bucs has to be that gaping hole at kicker.
So, what’s next for the Bucs? They’ve got a Thursday night game looming, and they’re going to be burning up the phone lines trying to find a kicker who can step in and be productive on basically no notice. It’s going to be wild to see who they bring in and how quickly they can get him up to speed before kickoff.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pro Football Talk.
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