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Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Vita Vea suffers LCL sprain

By Connor Grott
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Vita Vea suffered the injury during blocking drills Tuesday. File Photo by Ian Halperin/UPI
Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Vita Vea suffered the injury during blocking drills Tuesday. File Photo by Ian Halperin/UPI | License Photo

Aug. 9 (UPI) -- Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive lineman Vita Vea will miss some time after suffering a sprained LCL in his left knee.

League sources told ESPN and the Tampa Bay Times on Friday that Vea sustained the injury during a one-on-one blocking drill with guard Alex Cappa in Tuesday's practice. He grabbed his left knee but walked off the field without assistance.

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The injury could sideline Vea up to two months, according to ESPN. The defensive lineman's injury won't require surgery.

The Bucs selected Vea with the No. 12 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Washington. He missed all of the team's training camp and the opening three games of the regular season last year due to a strained calf muscle.

Vea recorded 28 combined tackles and three sacks in 13 games (eight starts) last season. The interior defensive lineman was in the midst of a promising training camp while playing alongside off-season acquisition Ndamukong Suh.

Tampa Bay's defense already lost pass-rusher Jason Pierre-Paul, who suffered a fractured neck in a car accident this off-season.

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