Buccaneers strong safety John Lynch entered a pile-on last weekend that pulled his arm out of socket and all of him out of the game.
Midway through the second quarter, Lynch and a gaggle of other Buccaneers defenders rushed toward Bears running back James Allen. When the smoke cleared from the pile-on, Lynch was writhing in pain, holding his right shoulder.
Lynch suffered a dislocation of the shoulder—when the upper arm pops out of the shoulder socket, which may pop back in by itself or require reduction. Lynch's arm popped back into socket soon after he hobbled to the sidelines. "It was a freak deal," Lynch told the St. Petersburg Times. "Hopefully it will come back quickly."
Lynch later told coaches he could have gone back in the game after the arm reset itself. He is considered likely for Sunday's game against Buffalo. Free safety Damien Robinson filled in for Lynch at strong safety and Dexter Jackson took the place of Robinson at free safety.
Lynch says he will work with team doctors to determine the extent of the injury. If he does not return for the game against Buffalo, he says, he will return soon.
