Buccaneers Receive Good News on Wide Receiver Before Jets Game

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have gone through hot and cold periods since the turn of the century, but they're currently in a hot one. After winning the 2002 Super Bowl, they didn't win another playoff game until 2020, when 42-year-old Tom Brady led them to another title.

The Buccaneers then made the playoffs two more times with the future Hall of Famer before he retired. After that, they experienced another stroke of luck with Baker Mayfield.

Tampa Bay signed the former No. 1 overall pick to a one-year, $4 million deal in March 2023, hoping he'd rebound after a couple of disappointing seasons with the Cleveland Browns, Carolina Panthers, and Los Angeles Rams. He responded by tossing 4,044 yards on a 64.3 completion percentage with 28 touchdowns and 10 picks before guiding the team to the NFC Divisional round.

The Buccaneers then signed Mayfield to a three-year, $100 million extension before drafting Oregon running back Bucky Irving in the fourth round. Both players had standout seasons last year, with the signal-caller notching a career-high 4,500 yards on a 71.4 completion percentage with 41 touchdowns and 16 picks, while the tailback had 1,514 scrimmage yards and eight scores.

Tampa Bay lost in the Wild Card round, but it's now in the best position it's been in since 2020. In addition to Mayfield, Irving, and its star wide receiver duo of Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, it also has dynamic rookie wideout Emeka Egbuka.

The Buccaneers drafted the latter player No. 19 overall after he notched 1,011 yards and 10 touchdowns for Ohio State in a championship-winning season. Additionally, he already has three scores through his first two NFL games.

Egbuka is listed on the injury report with a hip/groin injury, but Tampa Bay received good news about his health on Friday, via The Tampa Bay Times' Rick Stroud.