Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians said Wednesday he doesn’t expect cornerback Carlton Davis back “anytime soon.” Thus, it came as no surprise Thursday when the team announced it placed Davis on injured reserve.
He will miss a minimum of three games while rehabbing a quadriceps injury.
Sean Murphy-Bunting went on injured reserve after dislocating his elbow in the season opener against the Cowboys. That means the team now is without their starting cornerbacks from opening day.
Cornerback Jamel Dean was inactive in Week 4 with a knee injury. Richard Sherman started the game at outside corner opposite Davis with Ross Cockrell manning the slot. Tampa Bay also has Dee Delaney, Pierre Desir and Rashard Robinson available at the position.
They did not announce a corresponding move, so could add another cornerback this week.
Davis started each of the Bucs’ first four games and totaled 15 tackles, an interception and a team-leading five passes defensed. Since the start of the 2019 season, Davis leads all NFL defenders with 42 pass breakups and is the only player with at least 35 in that span.