Tampa Bay Buccaneers Linebacker Lavonte David Suffers Medial Ankle Sprain, Will Miss Time
It seemed that Lavonte David's injury wasn't quite as bad as it looked after all.
The linebacker appeared to have injured his left knee in the fourth quarter of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' 34–17 loss to Minnesota Vikings this past Sunday, and he left the field on a cart. But after the game, it was revealed that he actually hurt his ankle during the play, not his knee.
David left the locker room on crutches and he had his ankle taped. It was initially believed that he has a high-ankle sprain, but the linebacker downplayed the severity of the injury.
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"It's minor, man. I feel like I can bounce back from it. The good thing is, (the X-rays all) came back negative so I'll be fine. Leave it up to God and I'll be OK," David said, via Florida Football Insiders.
Following a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan and further testing, the Buccaneers found out that the six-year pro is currently dealing with a medial left ankle sprain, and he is considered week-to-week, per ESPN's Jenna Laine.
"I think you're jumping the gun on Lavonte,'' Buccaneers head coach Dirk Koetter said during a press conference on Monday, via the Tampa Bay Times. "It's not as bad as it looked, number one. It looked bad. X-rays were negative. Knock on wood, it's not as bad as it looked or previously reported,'' he added.
David would have missed four to six weeks of action if he had a high-ankle sprain, so he dodged another bullet there. However, a source has told NFL Network's Ian Rapoport that the linebacker would still be sidelined for at least a month or more.
Kwon Alexander is still out with a hamstring injury, and if David misses time, the Buccaneers are going to be a little thin at linebacker. Rookie Kendell Beckwith should continue to see significant minutes with both of them on the sidelines.
