Buccaneers Get Bad News on Week 3 Injury Report

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will be without a handful of key players when they visit the Los Angeles Rams this Sunday for their Week 3 matchup.

Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians told reporters on Friday that outside linebacker Jason Pierre-Paul and wide receiver Jaydon Mickens have been ruled out of Sunday's game. It's also looking unlikely that veteran wideout Antonio Brown will be making the trip either.

Jason Pierre-Paul Injury Update

it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that Pierre-Paul won't be suiting up against the Rams this weekend. The 32-year-old hadn't practiced at all this week while he deals with a shoulder injury and clearly needs more time to heal before he hits the field again.

Pierre-Paul looked great in Tampa Bay's 48-25 victory over the Atlanta Falcons last weekend, finishing the contest with 6 total tackles while playing 92% of his team's defensive snaps. The 2020 Pro Bowler's presence will surely be missed against a Rams team that is averaging 30.5 points per game in 2021 — the fifth-highest total in the NFL.

Jaydon Mickens Injury Update

The Buccaneers will also miss Mickens' presence this weekend after he also missed each practice this week. While he may not be the most notable wide receiver on Tampa's roster, Mickens has been doing a great job as the team's kick and punt returner over the past two seasons.

Mickens has returned four kicks so far this season for 116 yards (29.0 yards per return), as well as two punts for a combined 21 yards. Considering how the Buccaneers vs Rams matchup is projected to be a high-scoring affair (55.5-point total, according to FanDuel Sportsbook), Tampa Bay is likely going to wish it had Mickens for the potential shootout.

Antonio Brown Injury Update

While he hasn't been ruled out just yet, it would be terrible news if Brown can't play for the Buccaneers this weekend. The star receiver tested positive for COVID-19 earlier this week and hasn't practiced at all.

If he wants to play on Sunday, he needs two negative COVID tests that are 24 hours apart. With time running out, it doesn't look likely that Brown will play against the Buccaneers. He's caught six of his 10 targets so far this season for 138 receiving yards and a touchdown.

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Devon Platana is not a FanDuel employee. The views expressed in his articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.