Potential starter at left guard has suffered torn ACL and MCL

Tampa Bay's offensive line takes another massive hit.

Injuries are a natural occurrence throughout training camp and the preseason. However, there's a difference between a couple of scrapes and what the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are dealing with right now.

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On Saturday night, the Buccaneers dropped to 0-2 this preseason following a 13-3 loss to the Tennessee Titans. What's more important than a loss on the scoreboard is who the team lost on the field. 

In the third quarter, left guard Aaron Stinnie went down with a knee injury after being rolled up on by running back Ke'Shawn Vaughn. It was evident that Stinnie was in serious pain and he was forced to leave the game on a cart.

It didn't take long for the Buccaneers to learn that they've taken another hit on the offensive line. According to ESPN's Jenna Laine, Stinnie has suffered a torn ACL and MCL. The severity of the injury means that Stinnie will be placed on Injured Reserve and miss the 2022 season.

Head coach Todd Bowles began his Sunday press conference by confirming the report. Bowles believes that the team has capable depth on the offensive line but is always looking for more.

Stinnie is not the only offensive lineman to go down in Tampa as of late. Early in training camp, starting center Ryan Jensen went down with a lower-body injury. It's been weeks since Jensen was injured by the specifics of his ailment have not trickled out just yet. That means it's possible that the team has optimism that he'll return at some point this season.

Starting right tackle Tristan Wirfs left joint practices against the Tennessee Titans with an oblique strain. With that being said, the Buccaneers don't expect the injury to linger into the regular season. They're mostly playing things safe right now.

This is an unfortunate development for Stinnie. The veteran was on the cusp of being a full-time starter for an entire season for the first time in his career. He appeared in six games for the team during the 2020 regular season before starting the final three games during the Super Bowl run. Stinnie made his first regular-season start late in 2021 but suffered a knee injury in that game that knocked him out for the remainder of the year.

One thing is for sure. The Buccaneers' depth up front has thinned out. With Stinnie out of the lineup, the battle to replace Ali Marpet at left guard is likely down to Nick Leverett and rookie Luke Goedeke. The former second-round draft pick saw significant action on Saturday night. However, it was a rough outing for Godeke, who just began to take first-team reps for the first time within the last week.

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