During Week 1 of the NFL regular season, Bucs defensive tackle and first round pick [autotag]Calijah Kancey[/autotag] played 11 snaps against the Minnesota Vikings. After getting two pressures in those 11 snaps, Kancey left the game due to irritating a calf injury he suffered during training camp and wouldn’t practice afterward, watching on the sidelines in regular clothes week after week.
Until now.
Kancey is likely to make his return to the team after practicing every day in Week 6 leading up to the team’s game against the Detroit Lions, and it has the Bucs locker room buzzing. His effectiveness in Week 1 in the little time he had was promising for fans and coaches alike, and after recovering from his calf strain and taking it a few weeks at a time, the NFL world could be ready to see Kancey show what he’s made of — for real, this time.
Kancey has been frustrated on the sidelines while unable to help his defense. But he told reporters that he’s ready to “bring the juice” to this defensive squad and that he’s thankful that he’s able to continue to play football when so many others who suffer injuries cannot.
“I just had to embrace the suck,” Kancey said. “I know there are guys that had this game taken away from them, and I’m still able to recover and get back out there. I still have a chance.”
That “juice” will certainly be needed. Head coach Todd Bowles told media that while he’s been impressed with interior players like DT Logan Hall, adding Kancey back on the line could add a whole different dimension to the team’s defensive front. Hall was drafted with the first pick of the second round in 2022, so him and Kancey should make a young duo on the defensive line.
“Well, he gives us another option as a pass rusher inside where we didn’t have viable options before,” Bowles said. “I think Logan [Hall] is getting a lot better and we really like what he is doing, but with his quickness and his savvy as a pass rusher, hopefully that helps us.”
Bowles isn’t the only one ready to have the team’s first-round pick back in the rotation. Linebacker Lavonte David — the team’s oldest member — also said he’s excited to see Kancey back, and told reporters that players like him that can showcase explosiveness on the line like Kancey can make his job a lot easier.
“It’s wonderful when you have a guy like that who can move and occupy the O-linemen and gives you a chance to react quicker and use your instincts more – especially when you’re playing behind him and you know what he’s going to do and make a quick move,” David said. “It frees up stuff for you because he’s disruptive and it gives guys like me and Devin [White] a kind of flow over the top and kind of run through gaps and stuff like that.”
Kancey will likely get his first real chance to make an impact on Sunday when the Bucs take on the Detroit Lions in their throwback “creamsicle” uniforms at 4:25 p.m. EST in Raymond James Stadium.
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