Tampa, FL – Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard Carl Nicks is sidelined indefinitely with an infected blister on his surgically repaired left foot, head coach Greg Schiano revealed Monday.
Nicks, a two-time Pro Bowl selection with New Orleans who signed a five-year, $47.5 million contract with the Buccaneers prior to last season, has yet to play this preseason due to the injury. He missed the final nine games of the 2012 campaign after undergoing surgery for a torn plantar plate in his left toe.
While Schiano is optimistic that Nicks will be ready for the team's regular- season opener at the New York Jets on September 8, he offered no assurances.
"[We'll] take it very seriously," said Schiano of the injury. "It's not something you mess around with, but it's not your common injury either. So the next question is 'How long will he be [out]?' I don't know that. We've got to let the medicine run its course and see if we can't get that thing straightened out."
In more positive news, cornerback Darrelle Revis participated in full team drills on Monday for the first time during this training camp. The All-Pro cover man, acquired from the Jets just prior to April's draft, is recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in the third game of last season.
Schiano also gave a good report on starting running back Doug Martin, who exited Friday's preseason tilt against New England after taking a shot to the head. The 2012 rookie standout has passed all concussion tests and is likely to be cleared for Tampa Bay's matchup at Miami this coming Saturday.
"I felt great [Monday], and hopefully tomorrow it's even better than that, progressing up to the game, and we'll see," said Martin. "If I do play, that will be a call on that day. I think that's the game plan and I think that's how we've got to approach this situation."
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