Bucs TE Tom Crabtree carted off field with 'serious' leg injury

Buccaneers tight end Tom Crabtree was carted off the field with a serious leg injury on Thursday. (Joel Auerbach/Getty Images) Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end

Buccaneers tight end Tom Crabtree was carted off the field with a serious leg injury on Thursday. (Joel Auerbach/Getty Images)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers tight end Tom Crabtree was carted off the field Thursday night with a lower leg injury, according to Roy Cummings of The Tampa Tribune.

Crabtree was injured in the first quarter of the Buccaneers' final preseason game against the Washington Redskins. Cummings reported that the Buccaneers have announced that Crabtree won't return.

Crabtree was locked in a battle with Luke Stocker for Tampa Bay's starting tight-end position. On a team that had little depth at the position, Crabtree figured to see a lot of action regardless of whether he was named the starter.

Crabtree is a fourth-year player out of Miami (Ohio). He joined the Buccaneers in the offseason, coming over from the Green Bay Packers, with whom he had spent the first three years of his career. He had eight receptions for 203 yards and three touchdowns with the Packers last season.

TE Tom Crabtree down with a leg injury. Looks serious at this stage. Cart coming out to get him

— Roy Cummings (@RCummingsFHCN) August 30, 2013

The Bucs starting TE battle may have just been decided as Tom Crabtree goes with lower leg injury. Being carted off field now

— Roy Cummings (@RCummingsFHCN) August 30, 2013