The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are likely to place in form running back Leonard Fournette in injured reserve after he sustained a hamstring injury during his Week 15 game against the New Orleans Saints. By doing so, the Buccaneers will miss the running back for the remainder of the regular season.
However, this is not the only injury that the Bucs squad has been plagued with. On Sunday night along with Leonard, receivers Mike Evans (hamstring) and Chris Godwin (torn ACL) also sustained injuries while trying to end the dry spell of the Bucs. Although Evans is said to return to the squad pretty soon, but Tom Brady will miss Godwin since he is gone for the rest of the season.
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Leonard Fournette to be placed on injured reserve
The Buccaneers, who have been struck with a series of bad news ahead of their Panthers matchup, also had some good news to share. The franchise officially announced that they will be signing free agent Le’Veon Bell to back up Ronald Jones. Bell started off the season with the Baltimore Ravens, however, he was released in November.
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Although Fournette has a place reserved for him in the playoffs. But Bell will be helping the Bucs through the remaining three matchups of the regular season. After suffering an MCL sprain to his knee and a strained tendon in his hip, the Bucs placed veteran running back Giovani Bernard on injured reserve last week. Although Bernard “could be back in time for the playoffs,” according to an ESPN source.
Buccaneers now are “likely” to place RB Leonard Fournette on injured reserve with the hamstring injury that left him on crutches Sunday night, per a league source. He then would miss rest of regular season.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 21, 2021
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The Buccaneers had no other chance but to sign in the veteran running back LeVeon Bell. Since both their star RBs, Fournette and Bernard are placed on IR leaving just Ronald Jones on the active roster. It is to be seen if the Bucs produce desired results with the new RB and a crippled receiving lineup.