According to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, Bucs RB Giovani Bernard avoided major injury on Sunday. On Monday night, Pelissero reported that Bernard suffered a slight MCL sprain on his fourth quarter touchdown catch against the Rams, and is day-to day. Earlier in the day, Bucs head coach Bruce Arians said the veteran running back was still being evaluated. Following the Bucs 34-24 loss, Arians seemed confident Bernard hadn’t suffered a significant injury.

Bernard saw his largest workload of the season against the Rams, logging 33 snaps. He had seven more plays than Leonard Fournette and 21 more than Ronald Jones in the contest. Arians has made it clear that Bernard was only the team’s third down back and two-minute back. But the situation in Week 3 led to a larger role for Bernard, as the Bucs trailed most of the game. He finished the game with nine receptions for 51 yards and a touchdown.

It remains to be seen if Bernard will be healthy enough to play on Sunday. The Bucs travel to New England to take on the Patriots in a much-anticipated Week 4 matchup. Given how anemic the Bucs rushing attack has looked, Bernard’s presence will be missed if he is unable to play. This could be the week Bernard gets his first carry of the season. The Bucs don’t return to practice until Wednesday, which is the next time the media will speak to Bruce Arians for another update.