TAMPA, Fla. _ An MRI performed on Bucs middle linebacker Kwon Alexander's left knee confirmed what the team feared, that he suffered a season-ending anterior cruciate ligament tear.
Alexander was injured on the second-to-last play of the first half in Sunday's 26-23 overtime win over the Cleveland Browns at Raymond James Stadium. He fell to the ground while chasing Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield, immediately writhing on the grass while holding his knee.
Alexander, one of the team's two defensive team captains, left the field under his own power and into the locker room.
Adarius Taylor saw increased playing time at middle linebacker on Sunday in Alexander's absence. Taylor made six tackles and recorded a sack in the game.
The Bucs also lost linebacker Jack Cichy to an ACL tear. Cichy was injured in the second half of Sunday's game and needed to be helped off the field. Cichy also had an MRI performed that confirmed the injury.
The Bucs defense was already without defensive linemen Gerald McCoy and Vinny Curry.
"You've got to have next-man-up mentality," linebacker Lavonte David said after Sunday's game. "Kwon is a big part of this defense. We also were missing other key guys up front with Gerald and Vinny. So it was big. Defensive line stepped up. AT came in and played backup, and Jack came in. Those guys stepped up and filled the void, and that's what you've got to do. You never know when you're names going to get called and those guys had their names called today."
