The Bucs’ frustrating loss to the Steelers on Sunday afternoon featured a scary moment in the second half.

Veteran tight end Cameron Brate, who was making his return from a concussion that he suffered in Week 4, stayed down on the field after making a catch. The area of concern appeared to be his head/neck, and it led to a delay in the game while the medical staff tended to him.

Eventually, Brate was loaded onto a back board and carted off the field. He gave a thumbs-up as he was taken toward the tunnel, but of course he was ruled out for the remainder of the game.

The positive was that Brate was able to move all of his extremities, and it was reported after the game that he would be able to fly home with the Bucs as they returned to Tampa on Sunday night.

Bucs HC Bowles: “It Turned Out Great For Him.”

Bucs HC Todd Bowles – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Bucs head coach Todd Bowles provided an update on the injured tight end during his Monday press conference, telling the Tampa media that Brate is dealing with a neck injury.

“He has a sprained neck,” Bowles said. “He has all his extremities moving well and he’s resting. That’s been the extent of it. Everything else has came out negative.”

Given the serious nature of neck injuries, it’s safe to assume Tampa Bay will be without Brate for some time. But the positive is that it doesn’t appear to be anything more. Bowles went on to say that things “came out great” and that there was no neurological damage.

Not to mention, having Brate fly home with the team was a great sign given how bad the situation looked on the field. And it had to put a lot of minds at ease, which Bowles acknowledged Monday.

“It was good to see him. It was good for the guys to see him,” Bowles said. “It relieved a lot of people’s minds.”

In Brate’s absence, the Bucs can turn to veteran tight end Kyle Rudolph — who has been a healthy scratch for four of the team’s six games this season — as well as rookies Cade Otton and Ko Kieft.