The Bucs were hoping that rookie defensive tackle Calijah Kancey suffered cramps in his right calf during an individual period doing bag drills, but as it turns out it wasn’t a cramp. Kancey suffered a strained right calf, the severity of which will be determined once he undergoes an MRI.

“He’s got a calf strain,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said after practice. “We’ll get an MRI and we’ll see where it’s at.”

Kancey, the Bucs’ first-round pick this year, is expected to miss several weeks of action depending on how severe the injury is. With the Bucs’ first preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Friday, August 11, it’s safe to suggest he’ll miss his debut in a Tampa Bay uniform. Whether or not Kancey can return in time to play in the Bucs’ other two preseason games remains to be seen.

Dustin Lewis posted video footage of Kancey’s injury as it happened.

Possible Return Timetable For Calijah Kancey’s Calf Injury

Bucs DT Calijah Kancey – Photo by: USA Today

HealthyFeetPodiatry.com has some insight into the recovery and rehab process of calf strains. The Bucs hope that Calijah Kancey only misses a few weeks with his calf injury and is a quick healer.

“Medically speaking, a “calf strain” is a pretty broad term that describes an injury to the back of your lower leg. People are probably familiar with “pulling a hamstring.” This injury is similar to that. There are several degrees of strains ranging from overstretching the muscle or ligament to actually tearing it. The calf muscle is made up of two muscles: the gastrocnemius and the soleus. They both merge into a single, strong tendon called the Achilles tendon.”

“Generally, these take anywhere from 2-6 weeks to heal depending on severity. Minor cases are treated with immobilization in a boot and rest. Very rarely do they need surgery.”

Bucs Are Excited About Calijah Kancey’s Potential

Bucs HC Todd Bowles and DT Calijah Kancey – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Prior to the start of Bucs training camp general manager Jason Licht spoke about Calijah Kancey and how disruptive he was during the offseason.

“The number of ‘wow’ plays that he had in shorts was more than I was even expecting,” Licht said. “That doesn’t necessarily always translate to making a bunch of plays in the NFL his rookie season. I’m not saying that he’s going to for sure be an All-Pro his first year or anything like that.

But seeing this defense kind of mold into what Todd [Bowles] really does like in that explosive, penetrating front that can get pressure up the middle, as well as off the edge, with all the tools that we have with Devin [White] and Lavonte [David], it’s going to be exciting, that’s for sure.”

Kancey was incredibly disruptive on the first day of Bucs training camp and made a great first impression as a backfield penetrator. Sunday marked the Bucs’ first day in shoulder pads, but Kancey was unable to finish the practice due to his injury.