Buccaneers' WR Exits Game With Hamstring Injury

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Sterling Shepard has exited today's game against the Atlanta Falcons with an injured hamstring.

Sterling Shepard #17 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers makes a catch during an NFL football game against the Baltimore Ravens at Raymond James Stadium on October 21, 2024 in Tampa, Florida. Perry Knotts/Getty Images

Jenna Laine of ESPN reports that he is likely not to return. The Bucs are currently trailing the Falcons, and losing Shepard at this point will almost certainly create a massive liability in the team's offense.

The Bucs are already down two wide receivers, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin. Evans is also out with a hamstring injury that is expected to keep him sidelined for weeks to come, while Godwin dislocated his ankle and is likely to be out for the rest of the year.

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Godwin's injury has hit the team particularly hard, with rookie wide receiver Jalen McMillan saying, "It was rough seeing [Godwin's injury]. Chris is the focal point, he's a leader, he's somebody that I kind of lean on when it comes to maneuvering in the league and being a rookie. So, you know, it sucked, but we have to pick up where we left off. At the end of the day, them being absent shouldn't make our offense worse, it should stay the same. We just want to continue to improve and be better every week for those guys as well."

Now, with Shepard out against the Falcons, the Bucs are down half of their wide receivers. That is a dismal outlook for the rest of the season, so quite a lot is riding on Shepard's hamstring at the moment.

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Shepard has already had a tumultuous career with Tampa Bay. After college football for the Oklahoma Sooners and eight seasons with the New York Giants, he signed a contract with the Bucs in June; however, he was released on August 27 and subsequently re-signed to the practice squad. He was then promoted to the active roster at the beginning of the month, and now, just weeks later, has already been taken out of the game.

The rest of the season for the Bucs is very much in doubt, considering that wide receivers are dropping like flying. With Godwin, Evans, and (possibly) Shepard out, it will fall on Ryan Miller, Trey Palmer, and Jalen McMillan to carry the team for the foreseeable future.

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