Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka runs for a touchdown as Houston Texans cornerback Kamari Lassiter. Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

Buccaneers' Todd Bowles makes bold statement on Emeka Egbuka

Originally posted on Tampa Bay Buccaneers on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Sep 23, 2025 1:55 PM ET

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Emeka Egbuka is playing well beyond his years.

While he is only three games into his NFL career, Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles admits that the team treats him like a veteran.

"Right now, we don't even consider him a rookie. He's been doing it so much in practice, and [with] the details of his work, that we had kind of expected it from him here in the building. I think outside, everybody's seeing it for the first time. It's a little early for Rookie-of-the-Year type of things [but] if he can do that for 16 or 17 weeks, we'll be happy," Bowles said of Egbuka.

Egbuka shining for Bucs so far

The Bucs are happy to have Egbuka, but they should be ready for things to change in either direction at some point. He has seemed to surpass expectations for the Bucs so far this season, but the future could take him anywhere.

"He is doing a great job, man. That one-handed catch, I was just like, 'Woah, [there is] no way he just caught that.' He is just coming along really [well]. I see him and Baker [Mayfield] getting along really [well] and I am just excited for where he is going to go as the season keeps going along," Buccaneers linebacker Yaya Diaby said.

With Mike Evans potentially sidelined with a hamstring injury, Egbuka will likely see more targets, but he also will get the opponent's top cornerback defending him, which could lead to a bit of a decline.

Egbuka has proven to make great plays against some really good cornerbacks already this season, so the Bucs have to continue relying on him in the offense.

Egbuka and the Bucs are back in action in Week 4 against the defending champion Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET inside Raymond James Stadium.