Vincent Jackson headed to IR with torn ACL
The Buccaneers got some bad news on Tuesday as they sent receiver Vincent Jackson to injured reserve.
Like many NFL teams, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have been hit with the injury bug this season. Running back Doug Martin has been out for many weeks, and now it looks as though Vincent Jackson‘s season is over
Jackson suffered an injury during the Bucs’ game on Oct. 10 against the Carolina Panthers. The team was hopeful they would get the receiver back, but an MRI on Tuesday revealed a torn ACL:
Buccaneers announced they placed WR Vincent Jackson on Injured Reserve after an MRI revealed an ACL injury.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) October 18, 2016
Amazingly enough, Jackson actually played through the injury at first, only to be bothered by it later on:
#Bucs WR Vincent Jackson played through an injury to his ACL on Monday & received no medical attention. Realized later it didn't feel right.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) October 18, 2016
In the five games Jackson appeared in this season, he wasn’t doing much of anything, catching just 15 passes for 173 yards and zero touchdowns. This was Jackson’s final year of his current contract. At age 33, it’s very possible that we have seen the last of V-Jax. As we know, it’s very difficult to come back from an ACL tear, and you don’t see many receivers produce at age 33 or over.
Still, this is a blow to the team’s receiving depth, as Jackson is a three-time Pro Bowler who has produced for the team. The team’s premier receiver, Mike Evans, will continue to see a barrage of targets (has averaged just under 14 over the past four games). Players like Adam Humphries and Cameron Brate will be looked upon more heavily as well. Humphries shined in Week 3 against the Rams, reaching the century mark in receiving yards.
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The good news is that the Buccaneers are likely to get running back Doug Martin back this week. It couldn’t come at a better time since backup Charles Sims was also sent to injured reserve with a knee injury. Jacquizz Rodgers filled in nicely in Week 5, but having Martin back would be a major upgrade. It would take a lot of pressure off of Jameis Winston and Evans.