The Buccaneers announced Wednesday they placed offensive guard Aaron Stinnie on injured reserve. Stinnie injured his knee in Sunday’s victory over the Colts.
Stinnie started at left guard in place of injured starter Ali Marpet, leaving first-year player Nick Leverett to play the final 57 offensive snaps after Sinnie’s departure.
Stinnie is required to miss at least three games before becoming eligible to return, but coach Bruce Arians described Stinnie’s injury as longer term than that.
As the team’s primary backup at both guard spots, Stinnie was active for the first 11 games this season. He saw action in five games.
Last season, Stinnie replaced injured right guard Alex Cappa and started three postseason games, including Super Bowl LV.
The Bucs currently have eight offensive linemen on their active roster, with Josh Wells serving as the swing tackle and Leverett and Robert Hainsey backing up the interior spots. Tampa Bay also has guard John Molchon and tackle Brandon Walton on the practice squad, though neither has any regular-season game experience.
Tampa Bay did not announce a corresponding move, so the Bucs’ roster stands at 52 players.
