The right calf injury that sidelined Tampa Bay Buccaneers rookie defensive end Calijah Kancey on Sunday will not cause him to miss the start of the season, according to multiple reports.
Kancey underwent an MRI exam on his calf on Monday and it showed no serious damage, according to the Tampa Bay Times. ESPN later reported the injury should keep Kancey out “a few weeks.” The team’s first-round draft pick had a noncontact injury which coach Todd Bowles called a calf strain after Sunday’s practice.
The injury occurred during training camp as Kancey, 22, was turning the corner on a drill. He pulled his right leg up, then hopped forward without putting weight on the leg. He grabbed his lower leg toward his calf before being helped onto a cart and taken off the field.
Kancey, the 19th pick overall in this year’s draft and a Miami native, raised eyebrows when he ran a 4.67-second 40-yard dash at the NFL Scouting Combine.
He played three years at Pitt. In 2022, he earned first-team All-America honors with 7.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss in 11 games, becoming Pitt’s first unanimous All-America selection since Aaron Donald.
–Field Level Media
