The Buccaneers improved to 5-4 with their 34-24 victory over the Chargers on Sunday afternoon, good news that was tempered by the neck injury suffered by Quincy Black in the third quarter.
Black and Chargers running back Ryan Mathews both lowered their heads and came together helmet to helmet at the end of a one-yard loss by Mathews. Black had to be immobilized on the field and then carted off of it. He offered a thumbs up to the crowd on his way out of the stadium, ending what was a pretty scary couple of minutes with reason for optimism.
We don’t have a full picture of Black’s injury yet, but the first reports are that it could be fairly serious. Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Buccaneers are unsure if Black will be able to return to the field this season. Black was released from a Tampa hospital on Sunday night and will undergo more tests on Monday to determine the extent of the injury.
Black made his fifth start of the season on Sunday and made six tackles before leaving the game.