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Jenna Laine, ESPN Staff WriterSep 8, 2024, 11:03 PM ET
- Jenna Laine covers the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for ESPN. She started covering the Bucs for ESPN in 2016, but she has covered the team since 2009. Follow Jenna on Twitter: @JennaLaineESPN.
TAMPA, Fla. — The last time Tampa Bay Buccaneers backup safety/nickelback Christian Izien lined up at outside cornerback was his sophomore year at Erasmus Hall High School In Flatbush, New York, in 2015. But in the Bucs’ 37-20 win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday, the Bucs lost three of four active cornerbacks to injury — including Bryce Hall being carted off the field — forcing Izien into a precarious position.
“It wasn’t on my bucket list today,” said Izien, who lined up opposite starter Jamel Dean, the lone healthy cornerback by the second half. “There wasn’t a chance in hell that I’d ever step out at outside corner, but the team needed me so that’s what had to be done.”
He hadn’t even taken a practice snap at the position, having spent this offseason learning the safety role after starting last season at nickelback.
“He had not lined up at cornerback one day in training camp but he plays nickel, so nickel and corner have the jobs on certain things,” coach Todd Bowles said, adding, “He is smart enough and he is feisty enough and tough enough that if you put him out there, he’s going to make some plays.”
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The Bucs lost starting cornerback Zyon McCollum to a concussion in the first quarter after a collision with Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr.
Next, cornerback Josh Hayes, a reserve corner and one of the team’s top special teams performers, appeared to lose his footing while attempting to make a tackle on a kickoff one play before the end of the second quarter.
Then Hall, the Bucs’ top reserve, was carted off the field with 13:06 to go in the third quarter when he got rolled up on during a run by Robinson. Trainers immobilized his right leg in an air cast. Both he and Hayes left the locker room after the game on crutches.
Hall suffered a dislocated right ankle and fractured fibula, a source said, confirming a report by NFL Network. The Bucs were awaiting further testing Monday on Hayes’ injury.
“They actually told me before halftime,” Izien said. “When Josh went down in the kickoff coverage before halftime, they told me like, if anything would happen, you’re the next corner in. So it was in the back of my mind but I really didn’t think it would happen.”
Izien finished the game with two tackles and did not allow a reception when targeted on two throws.
“I wasn’t expecting all corners that we had active — three of them would get hurt,” Dean said. “That was the perfect example of ‘next man up.’ [Izien is] a natural athlete so he was able to stay out there. I was out there just telling him, ‘Hey, this is what we’re going to do.’ That’s the beauty of it, that he’s a natural athlete and can just go out there and play a position he never practiced. Salute to him. I’m happy for him.”
Left tackle Tristan Wirfs said the offense wasn’t even aware that defenders were playing out of position — only that Hall had been carted off the field.
“That’s tough,” Wirfs said. “Those guys were balling. … [They] were getting after it. That’s what you got to do — next man up. That’s the mentality we all have.”
Wide receiver Chris Godwin added, “It’s a tough culture over there. I’m sure none of them came into this game expecting that they were going to be down to one healthy corner. But hats off to them for being able to step up and to make the plays when needed. It’s just … it’s a tough league. Injuries happen unfortunately. For guys to be able to step up and execute at a high level — against NFL guys, they’ve got good guys over there — it was no small feat to be able to step in and make those plays.”
Bowles said the team would wait for further testing before determining whether outside help will be needed. Rookie Tyrek Funderburk, an undrafted free agent out of Appalachian State, had an impressive camp with multiple interceptions but missed a significant portion of it with a foot injury. He was inactive Sunday but practiced fully every day this week.
Asked whether Funderburk would be ready for the Bucs’ Week 2 road game at the Detroit Lions, Bowles said, “He’s definitely going to have to be on deck.”
