Buccaneers 3 players diagnosed with MRSA

Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard Carl Nicks's MRSA infection has returned in his left foot.(Photo Chris O'Meara AP)

Story HighlightsLeague union officials were in Tampa to discuss handling of MRSA other infectious diseasesBucs acknowledge third player diagnosed with MRSANicks and Tynes diagnosed with MRSA Nicks' infection returned to his left foot

Another Tampa Buccaneers player has been diagnosed with an MRSA infection the team said Friday one day after acknowledging guard Carl Nicks' infection has returned.

But preparations were moving forward for Sunday's game against the Philadelphia Eagles pending the outcome of an independent experts' report on containment of the outbreak.

Nicks and place kicker Lawrence Tynes were diagnosed with MRSA a staph infection that is resistant to some antibiotics in August during combined practices with the New England Patriots.

The Bucs didn't release the identity of the third player diagnosed with MRSA.

MORE Bucs Nicks' MRSA infection has returned

We have been involved in an ongoing review of the MRSA incidents in Tampa Bay initiated by the concerns we had about the manner in which team officials responded to these cases NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said in a statement issued to USA TODAY Sports.

We advised the NFL and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers that an outside expert should be brought in to assess the situation and we are pleased with their decision to take that recommendation. We have also been in regular contact with the player representatives from Tampa Bay. We will reach out to the Philadelphia Eagles player representatives today and provide them with our best medical guidance and regular updates from the outside experts.

League and union officials were in Tampa Bay on Thursday to discuss the handling of MRSA and other infectious diseases according to a person with knowledge of the situation. And there was believed to be more than one type of infectious disease present in the Bucs' locker room according to the person who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the team had not yet released the information.

Bucs general manager Mark Dominik and Dr. Deverick Anderson of the Duke Infection Control Outreach Network acknowledged the second strain at a media conference Friday afternoon.

Eagles spokesman Derek Boyko told USA TODAY Sports the team planned to travel to Tampa on Saturday as scheduled.

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Our office the NFLPA and appropriate medical specialists are working with the Buccaneers' medical staff to aggressively address the matter the NFL said in a statement.

Nicks 28 had an infected blister on the side of his left foot. At one point the infection spread to one of Nicks' arms a person with knowledge of the situation told USA TODAY Sports on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak on the matter.

But Nicks responded well enough to treatment to return to the Bucs' lineup in Week 3 and started the past two games before popping up on the injury report Wednesday.

The Bucs had their facility sanitized twice after the initial outbreak in hopes of preventing the infection from spreading to other players.

An NFL physicians survey determined there were 33 MRSA staph infections league wide from 2006 to '08 11 a season among the 32 teams. The St. Louis Rams Cleveland Browns Washington Redskins and San Francisco 49ers are among the teams with documented cases.

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