Injuries have hit the Buccaneers as hard as any team in the NFL, maybe no team in the league more than Tampa Bay in fact.

Especially with the news that already injured players are suffering new injuries while recovering from their previous ones.

On Wednesday, during his post-practice press conference, Bucs head coach Dirk Koetter said that wide receiver Louis Murphy int as close to ready as previously thought.

“There was a setback. Different injury than his knee.”

Koetter was then asked the significance of the new injury.

“I don’t know what’s significant and what is not. Not able to practice right now.”

The organization had hoped Murphy would be able to help provide an replacement at some point for Vincent Jackson’s role after the veteran wide receiver was put on injured reserve last week with an ACL injury. However the latest news makes that seem more unlikely now.

The good news for the Bucs on Sunday was the play of Russell Shepard who stepped in and have a touchdown reception while also hauling in five passes for 77 yards in Tampa Bay’s 34-17 win over the 49ers.

Offensive coordinator Todd Monken talked about the impact Shepard has had, while also talking about other players who might fill Jackson’s role.

“This week I know he had a tremendous game for us and I’m happy for him, he’s worked awfully hard, he’s earned everything in this league,” Monken said. “So for him to come up big with a number of plays, I’m happy for him – what that meant to him, what it meant to our team.

“So, we’ll continue to go down that road with him and [wide receivers] Cecil [Shorts III] and ‘Hump’ [Adam Humphries] and some other guys trying to fit them in the roles that best suit them. He’s earned his way, as I’ve said before, he’s been a special teams player and a role player offensively and because of what happened to [injured wide receiver] Vincent [Jackson]