The Tampa Bay Buccaneers may be without one of their rising stars after YaYa Diaby suffered an apparent leg injury that led him to be carted off the field during training camp. The edge rusher went down during a drill on Thursday, and head coach Todd Bowles is unsure of how severe the injury is, according to Ian Rapoport.
Vita Vea rolled up on Diaby's ankle during the drill, and Bowles is hopeful that the second-year player avoided a major injury.
“It’s football, we’ll wait for the results to come in,” Bowles said to the media after practice. “We’re hopeful, so we’ll wait and see before we say all was lost right now. He’s been having a great camp, he’s a great player, and just wish the best for him.”
As of now, signs are pointing to some good news for the edge rusher. There is some optimism that Diaby didn't suffer a major injury, and that he was able to move his ankle and put pressure on it, noting that it wasn't a scary situation, according to Bucs reporter JC Allen.
“X-rays on YaYa Diaby’s ankle were normal,” said Bucs reporter Ric Stroud on X, formerly Twitter. “He will undergo an MRI later today but the Bucs are optimistic and hoping he avoided serious injury when he tangled with Vita Vea.”
YaYa Diaby has been a rising star for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers
YaYa Diaby was selected in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Louisville. He made a lot of people turn their heads during his rookie season for the Buccaneers, starting in seven games and recording 38 combined tackles, 12 tackles for loss, and a team-high 7.5 sacks. Diaby started the season off slow in the first few games, but it was towards the latter part of the season where he made the biggest impact.
Diaby is likely to start opposite of Joe Tryon-Shoyinka, and with edge rusher Randy Gregory absent from training camp, it was important that Diaby stepped up so he could follow up on his solid rookie season.
The Buccaneers are looking to build on their formidable defense from last season, after finishing with the No. 6 scoring defense and recording the seventh-most sacks in the league with 48.
Training camp injuries are always tough for any team, especially for young players trying to make a name for themselves and earn a roster spot. For Diaby, he had already shown last season that he had the potential to be very good, and an injury like this could set back a player's growth. Luckily, the updates sound promising for Diaby, so he may not miss as much time and hopefully, he'll be back on the field in no time.
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