Linebacker Shaq Barrett of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers will miss the remainder of the NFL season after tearing his Achilles on Thursday.
The injury occurred early in the third quarter during the Ravens’ 27-22 victory over the Bucs, after an 11-yard run by Baltimore running back Gus Edwards. Barrett missed the tackle on Edwards and instantly grabbed down to his left ankle in pain. After staying down on the ground for a moment, Barrett needed a golf cart to drive him off the field.
Barrett’s injury will sideline him for 7-9 months, ESPN Senior NFL Insider Adam Schefter tweeted Friday.
MRI confirmed that Bucs’ LB Shaq Barrett suffered a torn Achilles last night and will be out the next 7-9 months, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 28, 2022
Replacing the two-time Pro Bowl linebacker will be hard to do, but the loss shouldn’t be detrimental to Tampa Bay’s season.
Even though the Buccaneers are 3-5, they are still very much alive for the postseason. They are fortunate enough to play in the NFC South division, which is the the worst division in football in 2022 by far. Tampa Bay is less than one game out from a playoff spot, despite their losing record, according to ESPN. (RELATED: Gisele Bündchen Officially Files For Divorce From Tom Brady)
Even with Tampa Bay’s laundry list of injuries, they still have Tom Brady. With Brady leading the way, the Buccaneers are capable of eliminating any team in the playoffs — if they happen to get there again.
Although it seems unlikely Tampa Bay will make it back to the Super Bowl again, having the greatest quarterback of all time in their lineup makes anything possible.