The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are currently dealing with a plethora of injuries on both sides of the ball, and the team lost another key player on Sunday. Shaq Barrett reportedly suffered a knee injury at the end of the first half and was initially considered questionable to return to the game, but managed to get back onto the field for the second half, per Greg Auman.

Barrett sustained the injury late in the first half while pressuring Panthers quarterback Sam Darnold. The edge rusher returned to action at the start of the second half, which seemed a good sign for the Buccaneers, but was ruled out after the first drive of the half.

Barrett's absence marks a significant blow for Tampa Bay's defense as the Buccaneers look to defend their lead over the Panthers and improve to 11-4. The Patriots jumped out to a comfortable first-half lead, but with all the players sidelined due to injury, they'll want to add some more cushion to it to ensure a victory.

Barrett joins fellow edge rusher Jason Pierre-Paul on the sideline for Sunday's contest, meaning the Buccaneers are now set to rely on the likes of Cam Gill, Joe Tyron-Shoyinka and Anthony Nelson in order to get after the QB.

On the season, Barrett has recorded 9.5 sacks to go with 47 tackles, 21 quarterback hits, three forced fumbles, and a pair of fumble recoveries. One of the key cogs in Tampa's defensive game plan, the outside linebacker's loss could end up being difficult to overcome, and fans will be hopeful it's just a short-term injury.