The Tampa Bay Buccaneers might be on the verge of losing Pro Bowl linebacker Kwon Alexander for the remainder of the season.
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, the fear is that Alexander suffered a torn ACL in Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns.
Potential bad news for the #Bucs: The concern is that star LB Kwon Alexander suffered a torn ACL, sources tell me and @MikeGarafolo. He had been in contract talks on a long-term deal. The hope is for good news on the all-important MRI.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 21, 2018
If the MRI does indeed reveal a torn ACL, it would be a major blow for an otherwise bad Buccaneers defense. Since entering the league back in 2015, Alexander has been among the best middle linebackers in the NFL.
He recorded 97 tackles and three interceptions en route to earning his first Pro Bowl appearance last season. That led to the two sides negotiating a long-term deal. Should Alexander’s MRI not prove to be positive, those discussions will be tabled.
From a team-wide perspective, losing Alexander would be a massive blow. Tampa Bay entered Week 7 with the worst pass defense in the NFL, yielding a ridiculous 129.5 quarterback rating. That likely won’t get better if Alexander is lost for the remainder of the season.