The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without their leading tackler in the middle against Washington.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will return to the postseason for the first time since 2007. At 11-5, one can thank Tom Brady‘s addition for leading the charge on offense and picking up the production with talented targets.
Saturday could be the start of a very long run for the team whose city will host the Super Bowl in February. However, one key defender will be out for the count.
Linebacker Devin White will not play in Saturday’s game against the Washington Football Team. White was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list last Friday, but the team did not announce the reason why he went on the list in the first place.
White took to Twitter Thursday, telling his teammates to “win this game” until he can return to action and get back on the field.
White’s growth in Year 2 has shined for Buccaneers defense
White was unable to play in the season finale against Atlanta due to the NFL’s COVID-19 protocol. Due to testing, he would not be clear to play until Sunday morning following several negative tests.
White was essential to the team’s success up the middle in 2020, leading Tampa Bay with 140 total tackles on the year.
Tampa Bay will have to trust Lavonte David and veteran linebacker Kevin Minter to contain Antonio Gibson and the Washington offense. Minter, who’s played nine seasons, led the team in tackles against the Falcons with nine on the afternoon, including two tackles for losses.
This might sting overall for the Buccaneers as they’ll lose a key member to the team’s top run defenses. Other teams, such as NFC South rival New Orleans, will be able to have players like Alvin Kamara return to action in time due to scheduling.
Kamara was placed on the COVID-19 list last week as well. The Saints are set to play the Chicago Bears on Sunday.
The good news for Tampa is their path to the divisional round could be easy. Now, the team must play their game and prove that Washington’s home-field advantage means absolutely nothing.