Buccaneers outside linebacker YaYa Diaby has a sprained MCL, coach Todd Bowles said Monday, Nov. 2, and Tampa Bay is hoping the injury won’t cost him a trip to injured reserve.
Diaby got hurt early in Sunday’s 16-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons. An MRI on Monday confirmed the sprain, according to Field Level Media. Bowles didn’t put a timeline on it. “Not sure how much he’ll miss,” he told reporters, adding that the team would see how the week goes.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported it’s a Grade 2 sprain, and as Bucs On SI noted, his read was that Diaby could miss a little time but not a long stretch. That fits with Bowles’ hope of keeping him off IR, which would sideline him for at least four games.
This is new territory for Diaby. He hasn’t missed a game in his career, per ProFootballTalk, and he’s been productive this season with three sacks and an interception.
Who steps in on the edge
If Diaby sits, Bucs On SI expects Tampa Bay to lean on David Walker, Al-Quadin Muhammad and Anthony Nelson on that side. The Bucs visit the Chicago Bears on Sunday night, Nov. 8, and the same outlet points out they have their bye in Week 10.
Why it matters
McGraw Media’s read: the calendar is doing Tampa Bay a favor. With an off week right behind the Bears game, any time Diaby misses costs fewer actual Sundays, and that makes Bowles’ hope of avoiding IR easy to understand. The real test is the pass rush in Chicago, where a rotation of backups has to cover for a starter who had never missed a game. Bowles sounded measured on Monday, and that’s a fair cue for Bucs fans, too.
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