Buccaneers' Todd Bowles delivers honest truth on blow of losing Jalen McMillan

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one of the most lethal receiving corps in the NFL, but right now, the room is a little banged up.

The Bucs re-signed star wideout Chris Godwin to a big extension this offseason, but while initial expectations had him coming back by the time Week 1 rolled around, it's looking like the rough ankle injury he suffered midway through the year last year could be set to keep him out a little longer. That meant it was time for wideouts like Jalen McMillan to step up in his place, but he, too, got injured — he suffered a severe neck strain in Tampa Bay's preseason game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, and he could be out for months.

Now, Tampa Bay's impressive receiving room is getting a tad thinner, but the Bucs are prepared. Head coach Todd Bowles spoke after Day 17 of training camp on Wednesday, and he talked about how McMillan's year had been going to this point and how important a "next man up" mentality will be for the wide receiver room going forward.

"That's tough from a coaching and a playing standpoint. He was doing so well coming back this summer. He was very polished, gets his routes, and he competes on a daily basis. [He is] real close with everybody on the team, so that was a big blow for us. Guys just have to step up. You don't want that to happen, especially in preseason. I don't think there's a good time for it to happen, but it's a shame because his growth and his potential was off the wall…But, [I’m] glad it's not life-threatening, glad he can come back later on. We just have to have guys ready."

Buccaneers WRs must step up in Jalen McMillan's absence

The Buccaneers drafted wideout Emeka Egbuka in the first round of the 2025 NFL Draft, and he was expected to serve as the team's WR2 in Godwin's absence even before McMillan's injury. Now that McMillan is out for some time, however, the Bucs will have to figure out who will serve as WR3 for the Bucs in the meantime.

There are a few wide receivers who could step up in McMllan's absence. Sterling Shepard is a veteran option and has good chemistry with Baker Mayfield, so it makes sense that he'd be the frontrunner in the clubhouse. That being said, wideout Ryan Miller has displayed strong blocking skills and sure hands throughout his career, and the Bucs also drafted wide receiver Tez Johnson in the seventh round this year. Wideouts Trey Palmer and Rakim Jarrett have also been getting reps during training camp, so Tampa Bay has a wealth of options to temporarily replace McMillan.

That being said, McMillan should return this year, potentially after the bye. And when he does, he'll hope to re-enter a Buccaneers offense that has won some games in his absence as the team pushes toward a Super Bowl title.