Buccaneers uncertain if Jones will play vs. Saints
Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians is unsure if running back Ronald Jones will return for Sunday's game against the New Orleans Saints, according to NFL Network's James Palmer.
Jones missed the wild-card game against the Washington Football Team due to a quad injury suffered in warmups. Arians says the club will take a "wait and see" approach to gauge how Jones progresses, The Athletic's Greg Auman reports.
Leonard Fournette, who took the majority of carries against Washington, would likely start once again if Jones is unable to play. Fournette totaled 132 yards from scrimmage during the bout, with 93 coming via the run. Arians praised his halfback's performance, calling it his best game as Buccaneer, according to Rick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times.
Fournette rushed for 367 yards this season while Jones led the team with 978 yards on the ground.
Tampa Bay will not have guard Alex Cappa for the divisional-game against the Saints after the 25-year-old fractured his ankle, and Aaron Stinnie is slated to start in his place, Arians added.
The franchise also activated linebacker Devin White off the COVID-19 list, and he's scheduled to play Sunday after missing the wild-card game.
The Buccaneers will be looking for their first win against the Saints after two losses to Sean Payton's side during the regular season.