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Jenna Laine, ESPN Staff WriterDec 26, 2024, 12:48 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 Tampa Bay Buccaneers have placed defensive back Christian Izien on injured reserve, the team announced Thursday.
Izien suffered a pectoral injury in Sunday’s 26-24 loss to the Dallas Cowboys, although he did not leave the game at any point. Izien had also been on the injury report last week with a groin injury but played 54 snaps in a win over the Los Angeles Chargers.
Though initially a reserve player to begin the season, Izien, who converted to safety this offseason, started 10 of 14 games for the Bucs at both safety and nickelback due to injuries. He had previously been the starting nickelback last year prior to the Bucs drafting Tykee Smith in 2024. Through 16 weeks, Izien played the second most snaps of any Bucs defensive back at 779, behind only cornerback Zyon McCollum. He even lined up as an outside cornerback for nearly two quarters against the Washington Commanders in Week 1 after in-game injuries to McCollum, Bryce Hall and Josh Hayes.
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The Bucs have rarely had their entire defensive backfield healthy all season. All-Pro safety Antoine Winfield Jr. has missed six games due to injury, including the last two with a knee injury. Their other starting safety, Jordan Whitehead, was placed on injured reserve after suffering a torn pectoral injury in Week 12. After missing four games, he began his 21-day practice window this week. The team claimed safety Mike Edwards off waivers during their Week 11 bye, but even he missed two games with a hamstring injury and is dealing with an illness this week, although he was out on the practice field with teammates Thursday. Smith has missed four games with a concussion and a knee injury. Cornerback Jamel Dean also missed four games due to a hamstring injury.
Izien’s injury, even with the potential for both Whitehead and Winfield to return prior to the season ending, gives the Bucs fewer options in Todd Bowles’ defensive sub-packages, having only lined up in their dime sub-package once over the last two weeks.
After losing to the Cowboys, the Bucs are tied with the Atlanta Falcons at 8-7 but lose the tiebreaker due to the Falcons sweeping them 2-0 this year. They’ll need to win out and hope for a Falcons’ slip-up over the next two games.
The Bucs face the Carolina Panthers this week at home, a team they narrowly defeated 26-23 in overtime in Week 13.
