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How Serious Is Calijah Kancey’s Injury?

Originally posted on PewterReport.com | By Bailey Adams | Last updated Sep 16, 2025 11:31 AM ET

In the first three years of his career, there have been two truths for Bucs defensive tackle Calijah Kancey.

For one, he's shown that he can be a special football player, especially as a pass rusher. But the second truth is the scarier, more frustrating one, and it's that injuries have continuously kept him from reaching his ceiling and becoming that special guy Tampa Bay expected him to be when it drafted him in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft.

It started early in his rookie training camp when he suffered a calf injury that would cost him the entirety of camp and the preseason. He then re-aggravated it in the regular season opener, which cost him some more time before he came back to put together a solid rookie season.

He then dealt with another calf injury early in the 2024 season, picking it up on the Friday before the regular season opener. That would keep him out for the first five games, but he eventually came back and led the Bucs in sacks with 7.5 on the year.

The calf problems, while frustrating, didn't completely derail Kancey's first two seasons. But there's certainly some worry that the pectoral injury he suffered in Monday night's 20-19 win over the Texans in Houston could put him on the shelf for quite a while.

Todd Bowles Comments On Calijah Kancey's Pectoral Injury

It's still early, as the Bucs will have Calijah Kancey go through further testing when they return home to Tampa. But the initial update from head coach Todd Bowles following Monday night's game didn't sound promising.

"It has a chance to be serious," Bowles said. "We've got to get some X-rays. He's in a sling right now. I've got to see what the final result is."

NFL Network's Mike Garafolo reported late Monday night that the Bucs are holding out hope that Kancey is dealing with a muscle strain rather than a tear of the tendon, as the former would make for a much shorter absence. If it's a tear, that could end Kancey's season only two games in, unless the Bucs are alive deep into the playoffs and he can make a quick enough recovery to return by then.

The #Buccaneers are hoping DT Calijah Kancey suffered a muscle strain rather than a tendon tear. The former would be a shorter absence. The latter would mean surgery and likely end Kancey's season. MRI back in Tampa will tell the full story. https://t.co/zxwAN7gDSL

— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) September 16, 2025

Todd Bowles is scheduled to speak with the media Tuesday morning, though it's unclear whether they'll get Kancey's X-rays and further testing done by then.

This article first appeared on Pewter Report and was syndicated with permission.

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