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The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have placed defensive end Jacquies Smith on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list, the team announced today. Smith tore his ACL at the start of the 2016 season and apparently hasn’t fully recovered from that injury yet.
Being placed on PUP has no long-term consequences: he can be activated from PUP to start practice at any time before the regular season. If Smith is still on the PUP list at the start of the regular season, though, he’ll have to sit out the first six games while he recovers. Players who have practiced for even a single second with the team are not eligible for PUP. Players on PUP also still count against the 90-man roster during the offseason and training camp.
Having Smith on PUP is a bit of a disappointment for the Bucs, who were hoping he could make an impact as an edge rusher this year, alongside Noah Spence.
On the other hand, the fact that no other players have been placed on PUP is a good sign, and suggests Smith is the only Bucs player who isn’t on track to participate in training camp, for which veterans report tomorrow.