Jason Licht: Calijah Kancey “Trending”
August 31st, 2023
Still sidelined.
Joe notices some fans aggravated because Bucs rookie defensive tackle Calijah Kancey hasn’t returned to full-time practice since his calf injury early in training camp.
In so many words, Bucs AC/DC-loving general manager Jason Licht said, patience, please.
Today, Licht had a rare press conference as the NFL regular season is a week away. And Licht was asked about Kancey’s return.
Per Briana Dix of Buccaneers.com, Licht said Kancey is “Trending in the right direction.”
You can interpret that as you wish.
Sad thing is, if you rush a player back, that increases the chances of him re-injuring himself and losing him a lot longer than previously believed.
For those impatient about Kancey’s rehab, consider two similar injuries:
Cincinnati quarterback Joe Burrow also suffered a calf injury in the first week of training camp. He just returned to practice yesterday.
When Bucs defensive tackle Vita Vea also had a calf injury his first week of training camp as a 2018, he missed the first three games of the regular season.
So Joe isn’t freaked out by Kancey’s absence (yet). If Kancey can’t get back on the practice field the week of Eagles game in Week 3, then it may be time to get concerned.
August 31st, 2023 at 11:17 am
Typical fan impatience … what have you done for me in the last two minutes?
August 31st, 2023 at 11:20 am
Vea n kancey are much bigger and heavier than joe. Makes sense that they would be out a little longer than the QB. also the severity of the injury too. For the fans that call kancey brittle. This is part of the game. People get hurt cause he got hurt one time does t make him brittle Russel gage on the other hand is a diff story. ME13 pulls a hammy every TC yet no one calls him brittle. Quit crying
August 31st, 2023 at 11:22 am
Injuries are part of the game, can’t blame him for pulling a calf. Where some blame should lie is with the draft process. These kids go into training after the college season. Then the combine which should be enough, but it’s not. For many more weeks these kids are traveling the country doing private workouts, then their college pro day, and more team workouts. By the time they get drafted it’s time for OTAs, and mini camps. Any wonder why these kids are shot, and injury prone by the time training camp starts?
August 31st, 2023 at 11:25 am
Yup, patience is key. No reasons to rush a guy back before he’s ready.
I think he’ll be fine in the long run. Our other D tackles will need to step it up in his absence.
August 31st, 2023 at 11:26 am
It’s a physical game take your time rook
August 31st, 2023 at 11:30 am
RIP, Godfather, Gil Brandt!
August 31st, 2023 at 11:35 am
Keep calling him brittle more fuel for the fire.
Guy is gonna be a game wrecker you watch.
As for fans bringing impatient, wanting to know how he is doing and will he play is not impatient. Calling him brittle because he is actually good and you want him to play is very impatient.
I just want to know how serious it is and what time he will miss?
Always like solving a Rubik’s Cube with these injuries at Tampa.
August 31st, 2023 at 11:42 am
More concerned about Winfield.
August 31st, 2023 at 11:45 am
Really, no one knows (Bucs don’t even have to release injury info on Kancey since this happened before the regular season). If it is a calf injury, Joe’s going by the timeline Vita Vea had to recover.
And am confident both Kancey and Vea’s “calf injuries” aren’t the exact same thing and that both players very likely have different metabolisms and heal differently.
August 31st, 2023 at 11:45 am
What is a calf injury?
August 31st, 2023 at 11:46 am
An injury to one’s calf. 🤪
August 31st, 2023 at 11:54 am
Kancey will do nothing this season. U don’t miss that much time as a rookie and produce results. Maybe next year. Unless he hurts his other calf next training camp.
August 31st, 2023 at 11:57 am
HC Grover to Joe “ Can an injured calf still give milk? “
August 31st, 2023 at 12:01 pm
Pretty much. If Kancey has an impact (if he only misses three games), it may come in December.
August 31st, 2023 at 12:05 pm
He’s rookie without a training camp so we are not missing anything yet, let him get this injury completely behind him. It’s a long grueling season and we will need him at the end more than the beginning
August 31st, 2023 at 12:11 pm
Is what it is I’m just excited to see him when he can play. Get to 100% my lord
August 31st, 2023 at 12:16 pm
Let him get right before you turn him loose. The other young linemen on the team could use the snaps. Its a 17 game season. He will likely be added juice once he does play.
August 31st, 2023 at 12:18 pm
“Trending”. Is that the new way of saying “no comment”?
August 31st, 2023 at 12:26 pm
Word salad content. It’s why the Bucs employ an entire staff otherwise known as “media relations” to help football people craft a team-approved message.
August 31st, 2023 at 12:36 pm
SECRET WEAPON
The silver lining is teams will be preparing for what they see on tape. The first game CK returns, you won’t have any tape on the guy. He’s super quick and should catch the opposition off guard (that’s a good pun).
Might be great to save him until the Eagles game even if he can return sooner.
(BTW: Watch his highlight film again. Just ridiculously quick. I watched him administer juke, swim, and spin in 1 second. Guard had 0 chance.)
August 31st, 2023 at 12:49 pm
Why rush him back? Calf injuries depending on how bad the strain is, are slight tears. You don’t want to rush him back and make that worse. Could end up resulting to him kissing the whole year if he tears it even more
August 31st, 2023 at 12:53 pm
Let the impatient nimrods pop a calf and then go out to face Tristin Wirfs. Yeah let’s ruin the Bucs top draft choice’s career before he even gets to play a snap. Morons are in long supply.
August 31st, 2023 at 12:59 pm
Yeah I’d be low key OK if they played it extra cautious and let him rest through the bye week if Week 3 or 4 is his best bet.
August 31st, 2023 at 1:03 pm
who?
August 31st, 2023 at 1:04 pm
until the kid makes a play.. i dont g.a.f.
August 31st, 2023 at 1:18 pm
BucU has quickly become the biggest negative Nancy on this site.
August 31st, 2023 at 2:40 pm
If he just comes off the bench on third down for the second half of the season, I think he could make a difference for the Bucs’ prospects this season.
I think Gaines/Vea/Gholston/Hall will be better than last year’s line, if they stay healthy. Just no more injuries, please.
August 31st, 2023 at 3:51 pm
That stinks, I was thinking he’d be back practicing already. Not that you should expect much from a rookie DT — but still, he needs those reps against NFL talent.
August 31st, 2023 at 4:48 pm
It sounded like they were being extra cautious because of his position and skill set. Not to be him back too soon. Smart move. I’m more concerned with A. Winfield’s return. What was the injury?
It didn’t sound very positive on the Mike Evans extension news. That to me was the most concerning part of the interview. That sounded far apart. Is Godwin 20m a year the floor? Are they offering him less per?
August 31st, 2023 at 5:18 pm
Oh FFS wth is this guys problem I’m disappointed he hasn’t returned yet and even more disappointed he wasn’t hydrating
August 31st, 2023 at 6:17 pm
Meaningless or not, I for one would have loved to see Kancey get some reps this pre season. Now his first time on an NFL field will be against live bullets in a meaningful game! Gonna take the kid awhile to get his footing and timing down I’d imagine
August 31st, 2023 at 7:05 pm
We don’t need Kancey, we have Logan Hall! Hall’s superlative preseason netted him zero tackles in 3 games. Our depth chart shows Kancey and Hall as starters?
August 31st, 2023 at 7:51 pm
He’ll be a flop. He has short arms. “Eye roll”
August 31st, 2023 at 8:16 pm
Most rookies don’t do much their first season,
But specifically toBucU Says:
August 31st, 2023 at 11:54 am
Kancey will do nothing this season.
Jevone Kearse missed most of the preseason with a foot injury and went on to be rookie of the year.
There is also the more recent Jeffery Simmons who tore his ACL on Feb 12th, 2019. Crazily, he had the gold standard ACL surgery and played 9 pretty successful games that year as a rookie.
September 1st, 2023 at 12:41 am
Calm down on all the Kancey talk folks!
He is a rookie who thus far has only flashed in shorts.
We got guys who can play…Vea, Gaines, Gholston.
Patience is correct and even then I for one am not expecting the rookie to be All Pro this season.
Go Bucs!
September 1st, 2023 at 2:58 am
I am a major calijah Kancey fan, I am in no hurry for this kid, we have him for the next 4 –just heal and learn, remember Vita vea and his injury–same one right? anyway soon enough we will see what we got in Kancy.
September 1st, 2023 at 7:21 am
Hey, Dave Pear “Morons are in long supply” Don’t you wish like I do, that Morons had an expiration date not tied to death…
Heal Up Kancey. Get your body right then step back on the field. Bring your game out then.
GO!!!!!BUCS!!!~!!
September 1st, 2023 at 7:34 am
I think I was blocked for whatever reason yesterday but when looking at whether Kancey can have an impactful first year after an injury, he can.
Gave examples of:
Jevon Kearse after foot injury kept him out of training camp his rookie year. He went on and became NFL defensive rookie of the year.
and
Jeffery Simmons. The DT from MS State that tore his ACL on Feb 12, 2001. Went on to have ACL surgery. The most likely thing for NFL players to do.
Then played that first year in 9 games and had an excellent season.