Monitoring Calijah Kancey
July 29th, 2025
Keeping him upright.
Once Calijah Kancey gets on the field, he’s damn hard to get off.
And that’s been his lone issue now entering his third season with the Bucs. Kancey has been slowed in his previous two seasons with calf injuries in training camp.
In both seasons, Kancey wasn’t fully healthy until the sixth game. And once he got rolling, he rarely missed time.
“It would be great for him to start the season and not miss any time,” Bucs coach Todd Bowles said yesterday. “The past two years, I think he missed five games apiece and still came back and played.”
So what are the Bucs doing about it? The Bucs are watching Kancey like a hawk, checking his calves, making sure he’s not overdoing it.
The way Kancey played last year, he’s on the cusp of being one of the top defensive tackles in the game, no matter how much and how often the PFF tribe stomps their feet claiming he’s playing for his job with the Bucs.
“We’re monitoring that every day,” Bowles said of Kancey’s legs. “Obviously, you can’t put a handle on it. He’s feeling great right now.
“As time goes forward, we’ve just got to make sure we continue to monitor the things he does and how he gets warmed up and everything else, and that it doesn’t boil over into that. That’ll be very important for us.”
Of course it will be important. Kancey transformed into a beast last year. The Bucs are already down an edge rusher for the season. They don’t need to lose a guy about to break out into being one of the league’s best tackles.
If Kancey doesn’t blow out one of his legs, Kancey may just toy with double-digit sacks.
Yeah, he’s potentially that good of a pass rusher.
July 29th, 2025 at 7:15 am
Ummmm…glass half full regarding the loss of Walker for the season? The Bucs really don’t know what they “had” in Walker. Two sacks? Twelve sacks? Can’t miss what you never had I guess.
July 29th, 2025 at 7:26 am
If you recall, Jihaad Campbell, the ILB from Alabama, was projected to be the Bucs’ first pick in the 2025 draft (both talent and need). But we didn’t want to select a player who probably wouldn’t play much this year. Damn if we aren’t in the same predicament with Walker.
July 29th, 2025 at 7:42 am
I hope the trainers are paying just as much attention to ME13’s hammies. We need Mike on the field – he draws double coverage that will free up EE. If teams are dumb enough to put a single on Mike, he’s un-stopable. Also, Mike’s quest for his 1k yards will be easy.
July 29th, 2025 at 7:48 am
Kancey & Logan Hall on the inside, and our various OLBs on the outside, will be as productive as Vita Vea & his rotation replacement are IMO. Vea sets the tone for the entire DLine. Really wish some of those folks with access to all the magic stats would do an analysis of the productivity (effectiveness?) of our pass rush when Vea IS and ISN’T on the field. My guess is that there’s a BIG difference.
I like Greg Gaines as a DLineman, but not necessarily as an NT. We still need another beast.
July 29th, 2025 at 7:58 am
DR… hoping for that in 2026 draft for sure
July 29th, 2025 at 7:59 am
Didn’t GMC start his career the same way, but with biceps?
July 29th, 2025 at 8:23 am
Jason, correct. First two years, blew out both biceps on both arms. Never really had an injury issue after that. Fingers crossed Calijah follows that pattern.
July 29th, 2025 at 9:58 am
CK’s calves and ME’s hammies are two tough injuries. Harder to find what becomes a very delicate balance between getting in enough work versus too much making calves and hammies vulnerable.
I trust the PROFESSIONALS on the training staff as well as the fact that ME in particular is VERY familiar with the problem and is monitoring the fatigue in his hammies. After two seasons I think CK is in the same boat. They BOTH know their bodies far better than us and hopefully even better than the training staff.
Today my little subdivision in St. Pete received the same warning as the rest of you. HEAT ADVISORY. It’s so freaking hot they are warning civilians to stay inside. Like many here I’m not certain why the Bucs are practicing outside during a HEAT ADVISORY?
I can comprehend the advantage “heat conditioned” athletes have over those coming down from “sissy” training camps in the North but is that advantage worth risking TWO star players as well as others on the team?
The Bucs open on the road in a Dome and then a retractable down in Houston.
They return home against the Jets in mid Sept….shouldn’t need ANY advantage to be them. Then comes the first real home test. Philadelphia. But the SB Champs don’t arrive until the end of September. May get a really hot game…maybe not.
My point is why RISK CK or ME much out in the heat or the rest of the team for that matter with the Glazer shed right there waiting for them. The advantage of being “heat proofed” will be diminished a bit, but not so much as to risk injuries in the sweltering heat.
July 29th, 2025 at 9:59 am
Agree with Steven007, I am just hoping Kancey starts this season healthy and that he contributes right from the start. Hopefully his third season is the charm.
July 29th, 2025 at 10:02 am
@PSL: With respect – Jihaad Campbell was and always was going to be a first round pick. He was just “temporarily” damaged goods. When a team picks a dude in the first round the expectation is almost always, that the player will contribute right away. Campbell played for powerhouse Alabama. Walker on the other hand was a forth round pick from a small mostly irrelevant school. In addition, his position, outside of dudes name Watt or Bosa, rarely make much of a rookie year splash. You’re comparing apples and oranges.
July 29th, 2025 at 10:07 am
PLS Bob, bad comparison, Walker was a 4th round pick, Campbell would of cost us a first round pick which was Ebuka. Ebuka is been reported to be doing great. Not the same boat.
July 29th, 2025 at 10:31 am
I’m expecting Logan Hall to be dominant this season
He has the size, speed, strength, he only need to figure it out
July 29th, 2025 at 10:50 am
St Pete, Denver beat us at home the 3rd game of the season last year. Coming from Denver you’d expect them to wilt under the Florida sun. They whipped us that day with a rookie QB. So much for the we’re used to the heat advantage. They looked like the fresher team that day, we looked sluggish. Glad the Bucs are moving inside tonight, they need to do more of that.
July 29th, 2025 at 10:56 am
“Hope” he stays healthy. Go Bowles!
July 29th, 2025 at 12:53 pm
They should give CK vet rest days. If you do the same thing, you should expect the same results.
July 29th, 2025 at 1:33 pm
Really wished Sapp had time to work with Kancey this offseason.
Be great to see #97 keep working with YaYa and #99 with Kancey.
In JL we trust
LFG BUCS!!!!!!
July 29th, 2025 at 4:00 pm
these guys don’t need work, they need rest …just shelve them till September. too great a chance and too much money down the drain if they get hurt, they could go on vacation and show up drunk to Atlanta on September 7 and be good to go, let the rookies and scrubs practice and play for the next four weeks
July 29th, 2025 at 9:04 pm
Typical. “Watch and monitor” instead of proactively requiring him to perform calf training . Mr Twojobs loves being hands off.
July 29th, 2025 at 10:45 pm
This is something players should do on their own.
July 30th, 2025 at 7:52 am
I think any vet will tell you that coming in to camp in top shape is the key. Working in camp to get in shape? Injuries. I am not sure that Kancey was not a bit worn out in his rookie year. The rookies these days do not really get a break between college and camp.
Go Bucs!