How does the JPP injury affect Gerald McCoy

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers franchise continues to be cursed in oh so many ways.

Tuesday started out as an exciting day for Buccaneers fans, when they learned that Ronde Barber will be inducted into the teams Ring of Honor on September 22nd against the New York Giants.

Excitement quickly faded after news broke this afternoon that Jason Pierre-Paul may have sustained a season-ending neck injury as a result of the car accident that happened last Thursday.

With Tampa Bay not really addressing the defensive line in the draft outside of their fourth-round pick Anthony Nelson, JPP was slated to be a very crucial part to this defense in 2019, but now, the Buccaneers are scrambling for answers.

So, how does this news affect Gerald McCoy and his 2019 status with Tampa Bay? I’m glad you asked.

In my opinion, if JPP is indeed out for the 2019 season, there is no possible way that McCoy can not be on this roster come Week 1. They simply can’t afford to lose their Top 2 defensive lineman from last season and rely on guys like Noah Spence and Anthony Nelson to take massive steps forward.

Questions are still to be answered regarding how this injury might affect the salary cap, but one way or another, the Buccaneers need to figure out how to fit GMC under the cap this year, because he suddenly just became the second most important piece on this defense.