William Gholston Stretchered Off Field with Apparently Serious Neck Injury

Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive end William Gholston exited Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints in the third quarter with a neck injury, the team announced on Twitter.

The Tampa Bay Times' Greg Auman reported medical personnel placed Gholston on a stretcher and immobilized his neck. NFL Network's Tom Pelissero shared a photo of Gholston's teammates surrounding him on the field:

According to PewterReport.com, Gholston experienced a helmet-to-helmet hit with a Saints offensive lineman prior to going down injured.

Gholston entered Week 9 with 22 combined tackles. His absence will be felt along a defensive line that ranks last in adjusted sack rate, according to Football Outsiders.

Gholston was the third player to leave Sunday's game with an injury. The team announced quarterback Jameis Winston and offensive tackle Donovan Smith were questionable to return after hurting their shoulder and knee, respectively.

The injuries come as the Buccaneers are heading for their fifth straight defeat and sixth loss of the 2017 season.