Bucs QB John Wolford Stretchered off with Neck Injury vs. Jets, Taken to Hospital

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback John Wolford was stretchered off the field at MetLife Stadium during the third quarter of Saturday's preseason game against the New York Jets after suffering a neck injury, per ESPN's Jenna Laine.

Wolford suffered the injury on a sack when he hit the ground awkwardly. He was replaced by Kyle Trask, who started the game. Baker Mayfield, Tampa Bay's likely starter, did not suit up on Saturday.

Head coach Todd Bowles provided an update on the quarterback Sunday morning.

"He's feeling better," Bowles told reporters. "He's moving around so, you know, that's the best we can offer right now. The tests came out pretty good. We'll just see how he recovers."

Wolford was transported to the hospital for further evaluation, according to Scott Smith of the team's website, but he had movement in his extremities. He gave a thumbs-up while being carted off the field.

The player return to Tampa with the rest of the team.

The 27-year-old had been dealing with a lingering neck injury the past two seasons.

Wolford initially injured his neck during the 2020 season while playing for the Los Angeles Rams in an NFC wild card game against the Seattle Seahawks in January 2021. He was transported to the hospital as a precautionary measure.

Wolford re-injured his neck in a Week 13 game against the Seahawks last season and he missed the remainder of the year.

Head and neck injuries have become a major talking point in the NFL over the last year after Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa suffered multiple concussions during the 2022 season.

Tagovailoa even contemplated retirement because of the concussions he suffered. He's returning this year with a helmet designed specifically to protect quarterbacks.

Wolford went undrafted out of Wake Forest in 2020 and he spent the first three seasons of his career with the Rams before joining the Buccaneers ahead of the 2023 campaign. He's likely to be Tampa Bay's third-string quarterback if healthy.