The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have managed to play their way into postseason contention despite a rash of injuries that have seen multiple All-Pros and Pro Bowlers out for extended periods of time.
That doesn’t make the latest injury update any more upsetting.
Tampa Bay head coach Todd Bowles told the media on December 9 that NFL All-Pro free safety Antoine Winfield Jr. would miss multiple games following a knee injury sustained in a Week 14 win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
It’s Winfield’s second stint missing time this season — he sat out 4 games after he hurt his foot in the season-opening win over the Washington Commanders.
After dropping to 4-6 following 4 consecutive losses, the Buccaneers have now won 3 consecutive games and risen to 7-6 and are in first place in the NFC South Division and in line for the No. 4 seed in the NFC playoffs with a 72 percent chance for making the postseason.
Winfield Recognized as One of NFL’s Top Defenders
PFF’s Zoltan Buday put Winfield Jr. at No. 1 on his list of the NFL’s Top 32 safeties headed into the 2024 season.
“Winfield, who became the NFL’s highest-paid defensive back this offseason, was the highest-graded safety in the league last season (90.7),” Buday wrote. “The 25-year-old’s 92.0 PFF overall grade over the past three seasons leads the position, and his run-defense and pass-rush grades rank first among safeties, too.”
Winfield Jr. was a second-round pick (No. 45 overall) by the Buccaneers in the 2020 NFL Draft — the same year the Buccaneers selected NFL All-Pro offensive tackle Tristan Wirfs in the first round. Winfield Jr., the son of former NFL All-Pro cornerback Antoine Winfield Sr., started all 16 games as a rookie for Tampa Bay in 2020 with 94 tackles, 1 interception and 2 forced fumbles during the regular season.
In the playoffs, he took his game to another level as the Buccaneers won their second Super Bowl in franchise history, with 18 tackles, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and 2 pass deflections in 3 postseason games.
Winfield Jr. earned his first Pro Bowl honor in 2021 despite missing four games with injury and in 2023 established himself as the NFL’s best safety after he started all 17 games and had career highs for tackles (122), pass deflections (12), interceptions (3) and led the NFL with 6 forced fumbles.
The Buccaneers rewarded him with a 4-year, $84.1 million contract extension in May 2024 that made him the highest paid defensive back in NFL history at the time.
Bucs Have Moved Quickly to Fill Voids in Secondary
Winfield was the second starting safety the Buccaneers have lost in as many weeks after they learned strong safety Mike Edwards would miss time with an ankle injury following a win over the Carolina panthers in Week 13. Fellow safeties Jordan Whitehead and Tykee Smith have also spent time out with injuries.
The Buccaneers brought back a pair of former starting safeties on December 3 in Kaevon Merriweather, who was signed to the active roster, and former starter Ryan Neal, who was signed to the practice squad.
“The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are bringing safety Kaevon Merriweather back, signing him off Detroit’s practice squad on Tuesday,” Buccaneers’ senior writer Scott Smith wrote on the team’s official website. “Merriweather spent all of his rookie season and the first half of the 2024 campaign on the Buccaneers’ active roster.”
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Buccaneers Give Disappointing Injury Update on $84 Million NFL All-Pro