Bucs safety Mike Edwards has been ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Panthers with a hamstring injury. It is unclear when Edwards suffered the injury though it may have come on Carolina’s second quarter drive that ended in kicker Eddy Pineiro’s second missed field goal.
Mike Edwards injury update
The Buccaneers are downgrading LB K.J. Britt (ankle) and S Mike Edwards (hamstring) to OUT for the remainder of today’s game. pic.twitter.com/9bRGf24eJB
— Buccaneers Communications (@BuccaneersComms) December 1, 2024
Bucs Safety depth chart
Even before Edwards’ injury, the Bucs were already very thin in the secondary. Starting safety, Jordan Whitehead was put on injured reserve this week with a pectoral injury, and nickel corner Tykee Smith has missed the last two weeks with a knee injury.
Backup safety Christian Izien is already playing nickel corner in Smith’s place. Tavierre Thomas is the only other healthy safety on the roster, though he primarily plays special teams. The Bucs cannot afford many more injuries in the defensive backfield, which has struggled all year in the face of injuries and generally inconsistent play.