The Tampa Bay Buccaneers got some relatively good news regarding stud young defensive tackle Vita Vea.
Two days after being forced from practice with what appeared to be a serious lower-body injury, it’s being reported that Vea will miss 6-8 weeks with a sprained LCL in the knee.
This puts Vea on track to return earlier in the season. Though, he’s expected to miss at least a couple regular-season games. The good news here is that it appears he suffered no structural damage.
Vea, 24, was the 12th overall pick in last year’s draft. He’s since morphed into one of the better run-stuffing defensive tackles in the NFL.
Tampa Bay takes on the San Francisco 49ers and Carolina Panthers to open the season. Both teams should boast top-10 running games this season. Vea’s absence will hurt in that regard.