Bucs confirm Antoine Winfield Jr injury: how long will he be out and which games will he miss?
Winfield Jr was unable to complete the Buccaneers’ week 14 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, which moved them to the top of NFC South.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers took a big stride towards securing a place in the 2024/25 NFL playoffs thanks to Sunday’s win over the Las Vegas Raiders, although the triumph came at a cost as Antoine Winfield Jr was forced off the field.
Bucs offer Winfield Jr injury update
Safety Winfield Jr was unable to complete the game against the Raiders because of a knee injury, which head coach Todd Bowles addressed in a press conference on Monday.
Bowles confirmed the 26-year-old had suffered a knee sprain, explaining he “may be out several weeks”. Winfield Jr’s teammates Vita Vea and Tristan Wirfs were both forced to sit out one game with a similar issue earlier in the season, although the latter also benefited from being able to recover during a bye week.
Should that timeframe prove to be correct, Winfield Jr would miss the Bucs’ week 15 game at the Los Angeles Chargers (Sunday, December 15), while he could potentially be forced to sit out games at the Dallas Cowboys (week 16, December 22), at home to the Carolina Panthers (week 17, December 29) and at the New Orleans Saints (week 18, weekend of January 5).
The 2024-25 NFL playoffs, which Tampa Bay will be targeting, are due to begin on January 11.
Bucs make big playoff move
The Bucs’ victory over the Raiders was their third in a row and moved them onto 7-6 for the season, above the Atlanta Falcons (6-7) and New Orleans Saints (5-8) at the top of NFC South.
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