The Buccaneers’ website reported on Wednesday that kicker Connor Barth would miss the entire 2013 NFL season after tearing his Achilles tendon over the weekend.
Barth, the franchise’s all-time most accurate placekicker, tore his right Achilles on Friday while playing in a charity basketball game with other NFL players. He has already undergone surgery to repair the tear, but he will be placed on the non-football injury (NFI) list and miss this season.
The Bucs signed veteran kicker Lawrence Tynes on Wednesday, agreeing to a one-year deal at the veteran’s minimum salary, to help compensate for Barth’s absence. Tynes has been a reliable kicker for the Giants over the past four seasons, winning two Super Bowls and making the second-most field goals in the NFL with 33 in 2012.
Tynes has made 81 percent of his career field goals with a career long of 53 yards over nine NFL seasons, although he concedes a bit of accuracy and power to Barth, who has hit on 84 percent of his field goals and holds a career long of 57 yards.
Barth signed a four-year, $13.2 million extension with the Bucs before the 2012 season after finishing his career-best season in 2011, making 26 of 28 field goal attempts. Barth repaid the vote of confidence by hitting 85 percent of his attempts in 2012 and setting a new career-long with a 57-yard field goal against the Washington Redskins in Week 4.
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Photo via Facebook/Connor Barth