REPORT: Antoine Winfield Jr. to miss "couple of weeks" with ankle injury

Buccaneers All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. will miss a few weeks due to an ankle injury sustained at the end of Tampa Bay’s Week 1 win over the Washington Commanders, according to Jordan Schultz:

The good news for Tampa Bay is that the injury is not season-ending, though Winfield Jr. could miss anywhere from one to two weeks to upwards of a month, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. Head coach Todd Bowles said Winfield Jr. sustained the injury just prior to the Commanders’ last-ditch on-side kick attempt in the closing minute of the game.

Losing Winfield Jr. is obviously a major loss, even for just a few weeks. The All-Pro safety is one of, if not the best defensive player on the roster and has responsibilities all over the field. He is arguably the Bucs’ most potent blitzer and most consistent defensive playmaker.

The Bucs defense might be drastically undermanned next week against the Detroit Lions. Starting cornerback Zyon McCollum exited Week 1 with a concussion, and his replacement, CB Bryce Hall, was carted off with a leg injury that Bowles said will likely require surgery. CB Josh Hayes (ankle) also went down and did not return.

With all the injuries facing the Bucs defensive backs, it is likely they will need to sign some help. The most obvious addition would be CB Keenan Isaac, who was on the Bucs’ roster last year and spent the offseason in Tampa Bay before he was cut after the preseason. Isaac was picked up off waivers by the Carolina Panthers, but they waived him on Saturday, giving the Bucs an opportunity to pick him back up.