Buccaneers Suffer Injuries, Lose Three Cornerbacks Against Commanders

In a surprising turn of events during the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ 37-20 victory over the Washington Commanders, backup safety Christian Izien found himself stepping into the role of outside cornerback. This drastic shift came after the team lost three of their four active cornerbacks to injuries, including Bryce Hall, who was carted off the field.

“It wasn’t on my bucket list today,” Izien remarked, recalling his last experience at outside cornerback was back in 2015 during his sophomore year at Erasmus Hall High School in New York. By halftime, Izien was matched up against Jamel Dean, the only healthy cornerback left on the roster.

Izien had not practiced at cornerback throughout training camp, as he focused on his role at safety after playing primarily as a nickelback last season. Coach Todd Bowles commented on Izien’s readiness to take on the unexpected challenge, saying, “He had not lined up at cornerback one day in training camp but he plays nickel, so nickel and corner have the jobs on certain things. He’s smart enough and tough enough that if you put him out there, he’s gonna make some plays.”

The situation escalated quickly for the Buccaneers. Starting cornerback Zyon McCollum was ruled out early in the first quarter after suffering a concussion due to a collision with Commanders running back Brian Robinson Jr. Moments later, Josh Hayes, a reserve cornerback and key special teams player, appeared to twist his leg while attempting a tackle, just before halftime.

The final blow came when Bryce Hall was injured during a run play, resulting in him being carted off the field with an immobilized right leg in an air cast. Both Hall and Hayes left the locker room on crutches after the game, further depleting the Bucs’ secondary.

Izien shared that he was aware before halftime that he might need to step in as the next man up: “They actually told me before halftime. When Josh went down … they told me, if anything would happen, you’re the next corner in.” Despite having this knowledge, he admitted he didn’t truly expect to end up in the game.

In his new role, Izien managed to record two tackles and did not allow a reception when targeted on two attempts. His performance earned praise from his teammates. Dean expressed surprise at the circumstances, stating, “I wasn’t expecting all corners that we had active — three of ’em would get hurt. That was the perfect example of ‘next man up.’ [Izien is] a natural athlete … He was able to stay out there.”

Left tackle Tristan Wirfs admitted that the offense was largely unaware of the defensive adjustments. “That’s tough … [the cornerbacks] were getting after it. That’s what you gotta do — next man up. That’s the mentality we all have,” he said.

Wide receiver Chris Godwin commented on the resilience of their injured teammates, expressing admiration for their ability to rise to the occasion. “It’s just … it’s a tough league. Injuries happen, unfortunately. For guys to be able to step up and execute at a high level … it was no small feat to be able to step in and make those plays,” he noted.

Heading into future games, Bowles indicated the team would consider their options after assessing the extent of the injuries. Rookie Tyrek Funderburk, who had shown promise during training camp but missed valuable practice time due to a foot injury, did not play in the game against the Commanders. However, he had been practicing fully leading up to the match.

When asked about Funderburk’s availability for the upcoming road game against the Detroit Lions, Bowles replied, “He’s definitely gonna have to be on deck.” With the growing injury concerns in the secondary, the Buccaneers will need every available player to step up in the weeks to come.