With star wide receiver Chris Godwin yet to play a game this season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have had to fill the void in the receiving corps alongside future Hall of Famer Mike Evans. Fortunately, the Bucs have been able to do just that, with the emergence of rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka.
Through the first three games of his NFL career, Egbuka has exploded on the scene on the professional level, as he caught eight passes from star quarterback Baker Mayfield for 96 receiving yards and three touchdowns.
Bucs Rising Star Dealing With Multiple Injuries
Unfortunately for the Bucs, the promising young rookie is dealing with hip and groin injuries heading into Week 3. Although Egbuka is officially listed as questionable, head coach Todd Bowles appears optimistic about his standout rookie’s status after Friday’s practice.
“He’s questionable right now,” Bowles said via Nick Stroud of the Tampa Bay Times. “We’ll see Sunday morning. We have to see how he’s feeling after today.”
When asked if Egbuka practiced on Friday, Bowles admitted that the Ohio State product did get some work in, which is obviously a good sign with the Bucs’ Week 3 matchup against the New York Jets set for Sunday.
“In a limited role, yes,” Bowles said.
Bucs may Have Another Star Wide Receiver in the Making
When it comes to the wide receiver position for the Bucs, all the attention is given to Evans and Godwin, and for good reason. The two veterans are arguably one of the best duos in the league when healthy, but Godwin has struggled to stay healthy, playing only seven games last season.
With Egbuka showing promise, especially as a threat in the red zone, Mayfield can get the passing game firing on all cylinders during the 2025 campaign. The Bucs will be sporting a 2-0 record heading into Sunday’s game against the Jets, with both wins coming on the road against formidable opponents.
Mayfield and company got the best of the division rival Atlanta Falcons in Week 1, pulling off a three-point win. Tampa Bay followed that performance up with a win against the Houston Texans in Week 2, with a game-winning touchdown from Rachaad White with six seconds left in the game.
Obviously, it’s not ideal that the first two games were won by such a small margin, with Mayfield needing to pull off some late-game heroics. However, the Bucs have shown some resilience and appear to be the team to beat in the NFC South once again.
The Week 3 matchup with the Jets will be Tampa Bay’s home opener at Raymond James Stadium. It’ll be an ideal opportunity to remain undefeated while taking advantage of a new-look Jets squad led by Justin Fields that has struggled throughout the first two weeks of the season, losing to the Pittsburgh Steelers and Buffalo Bills in consecutive games to begin the 2025 campaign.
Egbuka being on the field definitely gives the Bucs a solid chance of improving to 3-0 while increasing their lead in the division standings and putting the league on notice that Tampa Bay might be the real deal this season.
