Howard out, Brate limited Thursday

Bucs TE O.J. Howard has been setback-free so far in his recovery from October's torn Achilles, HC Bruce Arians said Tuesday. Arians added that Howard is "real close" to getting back to pre-injury form, although that seems optimistic for an injury that often takes a year-plus to return from. It does sound like he has a good chance to be ready for the start of the 2021 campaign. It's worth remembering that Howard out-targeted TE Rob Gronkowski 19 to 14 over the first 4 games of last season.

Bucs TE O.J. Howard will miss the rest of the season with his Achilles injury, according to NFL Network's James Palmer. Howard had been playing a significant role, tallying 19 targets through 4 games. His absence should mean more action for TEs Rob Gronkowski and Cameron Brate, plus Tampa's WRs.

Bucs TE O.J. Howard suffered an Achilles injury in the 4th quarter of Sunday's game vs. the Chargers. He was carted to the locker room and quickly ruled out. That doesn't bode well. We'll update Howard's status when we know more.

Bucs TE O.J. Howard (ankle) put in a full week of practice and isn’t listed on the final injury report. Ditto for TE Cameron Brate (ribs), who should be back to his usual role after being limited to 11 snaps last week. Howard is the ultimate risk/reward Week 10 fantasy play against the Cardinals’ 32nd-ranked TE defense.

Bucs TE O.J. Howard (hamstring) put in a full practice on Wednesday. It's confirmation that he'll return for this weekend's game against the Cardinals. Howard, averaging just 3 targets per game this season, is tough to feel great about. But he remains a big talent and draws 1 of the league's worst TE defenses on Sunday.