The prospect of Jason Pierre-Paul missing a sizable chunk of the 2019 season has been mentioned. Bruce Arians recently added fuel to it. Arians said JPP will need at least five, “maybe six” months to recover from the neck injury he suffered in a car accident a few weeks back.
“He’s doing good; his spirits are good,” Arians said during an ESPN interview (via JoeBucsFan.com). “You know, it’s just one of those things, you just wait and wait and wait, and make sure the thing doesn’t displace and not have to have an operation. We got our fingers crossed and are praying for him all the time.”
Pierre-Paul will not undergo surgery, which would have ended his second Bucs season before it started, but Arians’ timetable will shelve the Pro Bowler until at least November and possibly into December. Depending on how Arians’ debut Tampa Bay season unfolds, it is certainly possible JPP does not play in 2019. JPP will turn 31 on New Year’s Day. He is due a non-guaranteed $12.5MM in 2020.
The Bucs replaced Gerald McCoy with Ndamukong Suh up front, but on the edge, they are considerably weakened without Pierre-Paul. Carl Nassib (career-high 6.5 sacks last season) returns and will play outside linebacker in base sets. So will offseason addition Shaquil Barrett. The Bucs used a fourth-round pick to select Iowa’s Anthony Nelson, who registered 23 sacks from 2016-18.
Edge rushers still available: Nick Perry, Derrick Morgan, Matt Longacre, Connor Barwin, Michael Johnson and 2018 Dolphin cogs William Hayes and Andre Branch. After the Suh deal, the Bucs do not have much in the way of cap space. And they have three draft picks still to sign.
We got our fingers crossed and are praying for him all the time.”
Bad choice of words Bruce!