Buccaneers Placing OL Sadarius Hutcherson on IR

Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard suffers a knee injury and will be placed on the injured reserve.

Photo: Sadarius Hutcherson; Credit: Buccaneers.com

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will place offensive lineman Sadarius Hutcherson on the injured reserve after learning the undrafted rookie suffered a torn ACL in the preseason opener against Cincinnati, according to The Athletic's Greg Auman.

Head coach Bruce Arians said immediately after the game that the Bucs feared Hutcherson had suffered a sprained MCL, but acknowledged the need for further imformation.

Hutcherson entered the game with the second-team offensive line on Saturday and was competing for a depth role along Tampa Bay's interior offensive line throughout the preseason. 

The 6-foot-3, 321-pound guard went unselected in the 2021 NFL Draft following a three-and-a-half-year starting career at the University of South Carolina, where he made 45 appearances. Despite his draft status, Hutcherson was a coveted prospect who signed a deal with Tampa Bay in May that included $130,000 in guarantees.

Hutcherson's injury could increase the likelihood of lineman Earl Watford making the Buccaneers' final roster. A player with previous experience in the Buccaneers' system, Watford signed with Tampa Bay late last week as the team dealt with additional injuries up front. Watford went on to play 23 snaps against the Bengals.

With Hutcherson going on the injured reserve, Tampa Bay's roster stands at 86 players. The Buccaneers only need to clear one spot before Tuesday's 85-man roster deadline after waiving three players on Sunday: Cornerback Cameron Kinley, wide receiver Josh Pearson and tight end De'Quan Hamilton.

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