The injuries keep coming for the Buccaneers. Defensive lineman Pat O’Connor suffered a season-ending knee injury during last night’s loss to the Saints, reports ESPN’s Adam Schefter (via Twitter).
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Doctors believe O’Connor suffered a torn PCL and a partially torn MCL. While the core special teamer will get a second opinion before determining his next step, he’ll surely be sidelined for the rest of this season and the better part of the 2022 campaign.
O’Connor was a seventh-round pick by the Lions in 2017, and while he didn’t end up sticking with Detroit, he managed to find a home in Tampa Bay. The defensive lineman has spent the past four-plus seasons with the Buccaneers, appearing in 40 games. He saw time in all 16 games for the Bucs last season, and he made another four postseason appearances en route to a Super Bowl championship.
In 2021, the 28-year-old has appeared in 13 games, collecting four tackles and 0.5 sacks. He’s appeared mostly on special teams, getting into 100 percent of Tampa Bay’s ST snaps in seven games.