2026 Week 5 Fantasy Football: Chase McLaughlin Injury Reaction for Bucs
McLaughlin's groin/hip injury clouds Tampa Bay's kicker situation ahead of Thursday night.
According to ProFootballTalk (NBC Sports), the Buccaneers added kicker Chase McLaughlin to their injury report on Tuesday as a non-participant with a right groin/hip injury. The game is Thursday night, which leaves almost no time for him to recover — and Tampa Bay has no practice squad kicker to fall back on. If McLaughlin can't go, the Bucs will need to sign a replacement off the street before kickoff.
Chase McLaughlin
McLaughlin has been nearly perfect this season — 9-for-9 on field goals with a long of 59 yards and all seven PATs converted — so he's been a reliable fantasy kicker (a position scored on made field goals and extra points). The groin/hip injury and the Thursday timeline are the problem. There's no wiggle room for a limited practice or a Wednesday upgrade to settle your nerves. If you're streaming him this week, monitor his Wednesday status closely; if he's ruled out, you'll need a same-day replacement.
Data: real stats via Sleeper, projections via FantasyPros.