The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have to be holding their collective breaths following an injury sustained to star defensive tackle Vita Vea during training camp practice on Tuesday.
The second-year defensive tackle went down in pain after tangling with guard Alex Cappa during drills. It did not look great.
After an MRI came back inconclusive, Vea will have to undergo further tests. He’s also going to have to wait until the swelling goes down before said tests are conducted.
“An MRI Tuesday night, however, revealed enough concern for the Bucs to want Vea to undergo further testing,” Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reported Wednesday.
Along with rookie linebacker Devin White, Vea is expected to be the long-term face of Tampa Bay’s defense. As a rookie last season, the former first-round pick was among the best run-stuffing defensive tackles in the NFL.
The hope here is that this injury isn’t as serious as it seems. If it is, this will surely stunt the Buccaneers’ growth under first-year head coach Bruce Arians.