Injuries Continue to Define Buccaneers’ First-Round Pick

Getty Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Calijah Kancey.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers — and their legions of fans — continue to have faith that defensive lineman Calijah Kancey will develop into a dominant player.

Kancey, a 2023 first round pick (No. 19 overall) has done little to validate that faith in his short time in the NFL and for the second consecutive season he’s nowhere to be found as his team scraps its way through the first part of the season.

The 6-foot-1, 281-pound Pitt product has missed the first 5 games of the season after missing 3 of the first 4 games of the 2023 season after injuring his calf right before the season opener against the Washington Commanders.

That’s 8 games missed in the first 23 games of his NFL career — an ominous start to any NFL career — with the latest being a 36-30 overtime loss at the Atlanta Falcons on October 3.

Both years, calf injuries have been the culprit. Kancey missed all of training camp and the preseason as a rookie and came back for the season opener against the Minnesota Vikings but only played 11 games before injuring his calf and he missed the next month.

The Pewter Report’s Scott Reynolds and Matt Matera discussed Kancey’s long-term health after it was announced he would miss a fifth consecutive game.

“Was Kancey this injury prone in college? He was not,” Reynolds said. “These calf injuries are something that’s brand new … and its not really a heat or dehydration thing. He didn’t really have any injuries at Pittsburgh so to speak where he missed any time.  This isn’t a recurring injury from college. (The Buccaneers) were not going to rush him back … they feel like that’s what happened (rookie year).”

Kancey’s return could be around the corner, according to Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles. The Buccaneers have 10 days off before they face the New Orleans Saints on October 13.

“Todd Bowles seemed to imply that Calijah Kancey could have been in play if the game was on Sunday,” Bucs Gameday writer River Wells posted on his X account on October 2.

Kancey Had Dominant Moments During Rookie Year

After the Buccaneers drafted him in 2023 out of Pitt, Kancey signed a 4-year, $14.49 million contract and was dominant at times during his rookie season. When he was healthy, that is.

“Kancey also missed some time last year with a calf injury but registered 4.0 sacks, 10 tackles for a loss and 12 quarterback hits in 14 regular-season games,” ESPN’s Jenna Laine wrote on Sept. 7. “His 33 quarterback pressures were second most on the team. In two postseason games, Kancey recorded 1.5 sacks, 2 tackles for a loss, 2 quarterback hits, 1 pass defended and 4 tackles.”

High Expectations for Kancey Headed Into 2024

The Buccaneers were looking forward to starting the season with a dominant interior defensive line thanks to Kancey and former Pro Bowler Vita Vea at nose tackle — a combination fans have yet to see on the field in 2024.

“I learned a lot from Vita, just being in the room with him and being on the field with him,” Kancey told USA Today’s Luke Easterling in April 2024. “My first day, I actually took a rep with him and he told me everything to do before we even got out of the huddle. I’m like, ‘Damn, it’s that easy?’ That just let you know what type of guy he is. He’s on top of everything — he knows the formation, he knows what to expect, he knows the person you’re going against because he’s been in the league and he’s (gone) against everybody.”