Tampa Bay Buccaneers running back Giovani Bernard is dealing with a mild high-ankle sprain, according to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network.
Although he was not seen at practice today, Bernard is expected to be available against the Dallas Cowboys in the Buccaneers' 2021 season-opener on Thursday, September 9, according to Pelissero. Still, this injury is obviously one to keep an eye on over the next week.
Bernard signed with the Buccaneers in April following an eight-year stint with the Cincinnati Bengals, who drafted the running back in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft. Despite being listed as the No. 3 running back on Tampa Bay's depth chart currently, Bernard is expected to take on a large role in the Buccaneers' offense this season as a passing-down receiving and blocking back to complement the styles of Ronald Jones II and Leonard Fournette.
In his 115-game Bengals career, Bernard posted 3697 yards rushing and 22 touchdowns on 921 attempts, while adding 342 receptions for 2867 yards and 11 touchdowns through the air. This preseason, Bernard took the field with the Buccaneers' offense on a total of 27 snaps, catching the ball three times for 18 yards on six targets while rushing just once for no gain.
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