The injuries continue to pile up for the Bucs on both sides of the ball. News has surfaced that linebacker Lavonte David is expected to miss the next couple of weeks with a foot sprain.

David exited the game in the fourth quarter of the Bucs 9-0 loss to the Saints because of said foot injury. He was the best defensive player on the field for Tampa Bay on Sunday night. The veteran linebacker recorded 11 tackles, a sack and a forced fumble.

There have been varying reports about how long David will be out for. Jenna Laine from ESPN reported that David will miss at least the next two weeks. While stating there’s a possibility he could  return in Week 18.

Meanwhile, Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times reports that David’s regular season is finished. The hope is that David can be back for the wildcard round, which will more than likely be a home game.

Regardless of if David can get back for the last game against the Panthers, he’ll be out of the lineup for road games against Carolina and the New York Jets. The Bucs expect to be in it for the long haul, though, so the number one priority is to have everyone on the roster healthy for the playoffs.

David has racked up 97 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles in 12 games on the season. He missed two games back in Weeks 6 and 7 due to a low ankle sprain. In David’s place, veteran linebacker Kevin Minter will line up next to Devin White. Rookies K.J. Britt and Grant Stuard will be the backups.

In the two games that Minter started when David was out, he made nine tackles and one quarterback hit. The Bucs hit the road this Sunday for their first of two matchups over the next three weeks against the Panthers at 1:00 PM.