Buccaneers coach Bruce Arians hopes Jason Pierre-Paul is able to play for Tampa Bay in 2019.
Pierre-Paul, a Buccaneers defensive end, suffered a neck fracture in a car accident on May 2. Arians told the Tampa Bay Times Friday that he hopes Pierre-Paul's recovery isn't too lengthy.
"It’s very unfortunate. And all we can do is pray and hope for the best and hope it’s one of those five- or six-month things and go from there," Arians said.
"I don’t know what the answer is yet, if he’s going to play, if he’s not going to play. We’ll just practice with the guys we have. It’s just like anybody else getting hurt, on the field or off the field. You march on.''
Pierre-Paul has elected to not receive surgery in hopes of returning for the 2019 season, according to a report from NFL.com.
After receiving several opinions on his fractured vertebra, #Bucs pass-rusher Jason Pierre-Paul is proceeding with the non-surgical option, sources say. As coach Bruce Arians said publicly, the hope is he plays during the 2019 season. But no surgery is planned at this point.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) May 10, 2019
The 30-year-old edge rusher led the Bucs with 12.5 sacks in his first season with Tampa Bay in 2018.
Pierre-Paul has battled through adversity in the past, as he suffered a serious hand injury in a fireworks accident in July 2015. He went on to play in eight games for the Giants that year.