Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby Was Back Getting “Work In” At Practice

Monday afternoon served as a bonus day of practice for the Bucs on Labor Day. While some people get the day off work, outside linebacker Yaya Diaby is not one of them.

Instead, Diaby practiced for the first time in over a month.

After suffering a high ankle sprain on August 1st, the team has held out hope that their promising starting outside linebacker would be ready for their regular-season opener against the Commanders. Head coach Todd Bowles provided an update after practice.

Bucs HC Todd Bowles On Yaya Diaby: “We’ll See How He Progresses”

“Well, he got some work in,” Todd Bowles said. “We’ll see how he progresses during the week. A lot of them — just being out there for the first time, so we’ll see how they progress during the week as it goes.”

Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

Yaya Diaby was wreaking havoc during the team’s offseason practices before the injury, giving both bookend tackles Tristan Wirfs and Luke Goedeke fits. Projected by some to have a second-year breakout, being off the field slowed him down but did not keep him from being near his teammates.

The high ankle sprain Diaby suffered was a tough blow, as he was showcasing the added strength, agility, and pass-rushing arsenal he worked on since the end of last season.

He has spent the weeks since walking around on the practice field, doing so with a gingerly walk but without wearing a boot.

On Monday though, he was warming up and running more like his old self.

Diaby will be a much-needed component to the defense this year, beginning in Week 1 against rookie quarterback Jayden Daniels and the Commanders. It is a tough injury to bounce back from and it typically requires a four- to six-week recovery.

September 8th will mark exactly five weeks since the injury, which leaves the hope that he will be close to 100% and do his best to contain Daniels, who is a rookie quarterback Bowles thinks very highly of.

Bucs OLB Yaya Diaby – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

As Scott Reynolds wrote about in an SR’s Fab 5 column last month, Diaby’s injury provided some extra reps to some of the younger guys in practice and throughout the preseason.

Chris Braswell, Jose Ramirez, and Markees Watts each made the most of them and showed enough to vie for snaps.

Still, there is no replacing “Sub-Zero.”

Bowles did not provide much of an update, but seeing how well Yaya Diaby was moving around, one should expect him to be set for the Bucs’ season opener on Sunday afternoon.