CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Tampa Bay Buccaneers inside linebacker and fifth-overall draft pick Devin White suffered a left knee injury against the Carolina Panthers and will not return, the team announced.
White suffered the injury when making a tackle on running back Christian McCaffrey in the first quarter Thursday night. White was slow to get up after the play and as he stood, his knee buckled and he went back down to the ground. White was able to walk off the field under his own power.
Bucs coach Bruce Arians said one of the big reasons the Bucs drafted White fifth overall — the highest a linebacker has been drafted since 2015 — was to try to neutralize McCaffrey and New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara. Kevin Minter took over in White’s absence.
In addition to his knee injury, White battled tonsillitis last week and lost 10 pounds as he was unable to eat and dehydrated. He underwent a surgical procedure to remove an abscess from his tonsils.