Jude Adjei-Barimah Reportedly Could Miss Season Due to Patellar Fracture Surgery

Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Jude Adjei-Barimah will have surgery in the next few days to fix a patellar fracture, according to Jenna Laine of ESPN.

Greg Auman of the Tampa Bay Times noted the third-year player could miss the entire season with the injury.

Adjei-Barimah suffered the same injury last season and apparently re-aggravated it in a non-contact situation during practices.

The former undrafted free agent has performed well when on the field, appearing in 13 games as a rookie while starting seven games. He played 10 games in 2016 as the team's primary slot corner in nickel and dime packages.

In addition to his injuries, though, he was also suspended four games for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing drugs.

While Brent Grimes and Vernon Hargreaves represent a solid cornerback tandem for the Buccaneers, depth becomes a significant question mark going forward with Adjei-Barimah unavailable. Josh Robinson will likely step up as the No. 3 cornerback, but there could be major issues surrounding a unit that ranked just 22nd against the pass last season.