The Buccaneers placed cornerback Richard Sherman on injured reserve on Wednesday after he injured his calf in pregame warmups before Tampa Bay's loss to Washington. He'll miss at least three games. On Monday, Bucs coach Bruce Arians said he doubted Sherman would be back "anytime soon."
Sherman, 33, was replaced Sunday by Dee Delaney, who was later ruled out with a concussion. Sherman's injury is another setback for the veteran, who suffered a hamstring injury in the Bucs' win over the Eagles last month. Sherman, who played just five games in 2020 due to injury, signed with Tampa on Sept. 29 and has played in three games with the team. Sherman has 11 tackles this season, his 11th season in the NFL.
He's on a one-year deal with the Bucs, the defending Super Bowl champs, who are 6-3 headed into next Monday night's tilt with the Giants.
The Bucs have been without their top two corners for much of this season, as Sean Murphy-Bunting dislocated his elbow in the season opener and Carlton Davis has been sidelined with a quad injury since the Week 4 win at New England. Both could return in the next week or two.
(Photo: Mike Ehrmann / Getty Images)
What is the Bucs' depth at corner?
Greg Auman, Buccaneers beat writer: The injury situation at corner is ridiculous, with five corners either on injured reserve or sidelined with injuries.
The only healthy bodies are outside corners Jamel Dean and Pierre Desir, and nickel corner Ross Cockrell. Veteran Blidi Wreh-Wilson could be elevated from the practice squad for depth vs. the Giants.
Most likely to return next is Murphy-Bunting, out since the opener with a dislocated elbow. Getting him and Davis (quad) back is the most important step toward a healthy secondary.
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Why has the Bucs' defense been inconsistent?
Auman: Injuries in the secondary are only part of why the Bucs’ defense has been inconsistent this season.
The lack of a consistent pass rush has left the secondary exposed at times, and while the Bucs got five sacks Sunday, their biggest problems came on third down.
Washington converted 11 third downs and two more on fourth down, which kept the Bucs defense on the field and added fatigue. The time of possession was nearly a two-to-one edge for Washington.
The most glaring problem is a lack of takeaways — the Bucs had only one Sunday and missed opportunities for others, leading to a negative turnover margin.
Bucs announce that corner Richard Sherman is going on injured reserve. He’ll miss at least three games. He strained his calf in pregame warmups Sunday.
— Greg Auman (@gregauman) November 17, 2021
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