The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are placing running back Charles Sims on the injured reserved list Monday, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Sims first showed up on the injury report Tuesday with a knee injury that he apparently suffered in Tampa Bay’s Week 4 loss to the Denver Broncos. He took a hard hit in the first half of the game, but continued to play with no reported injury at the time.
Sims was filling in as the starting RB for Doug Martin who has been sidelined with a hamstring injury since Week 2. He struggled in the starting position, but remained one of the top pass catchers out of the backfield in the league with 14 receptions for 112 yards and a touchdown. There is no word yet if Sims will only sit out eight weeks and return Week 13 or if he is out for the remainder of the season.
Fantasy Impact: Sims going to IR is pretty shocking considering Tampa Bay gave no indications that his knee injury was serious. Now that the third-year RB is sidelined for at least eight weeks, the Bucs find themselves very thin in the backfield. Martin is still sidelined with a hamstring injury, so Peyton Barber will get the start Monday night. Also, expect fourth-string RB Jacquizz Rodgers to have a permanent role as the pass-catch option going forward.