The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have stayed largely clear of major injuries this offseason, but that clean bill of health took a nervous turn during joint practice with the New York Jets.
Second-year wide receiver Emeka Egbuka left the field after going down with an injury and limped off under his own power. Athletic trainers checked him out, and he did not return to practice.
NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo, who was at the session, reported:
“Buccaneers WR Emeka Egbuka limped off with athletic trainers. Was examined on the sideline table for a while. Hard to see exactly what’s up from where we are but he’s still on the table and hasn’t returned.”
Garafolo later said Egbuka came back to the sideline with both shoes off and watched the rest of practice from there. Rick Stroud of The Tampa Bay Times added that Egbuka was rolled up on after a catch.
There’s no update yet on how serious the injury is, but Tampa Bay has every reason to be cautious. Egbuka is one of the offense’s most important pieces, and the Buccaneers don’t want to lose him for meaningful time with the regular season approaching.
That concern is amplified by what the team is asking of him this year. After the offseason departure of 12-year veteran Mike Evans, Tampa Bay is counting on Egbuka to step forward and become a major part of the passing game.
He’s set to operate as the Z receiver in Zac Robinson’s offense, the same spot Cooper Kupp occupied with the Los Angeles Rams. That role comes with real responsibility, and the Bucs are clearly banking on Egbuka taking a big second-year jump.
As a rookie, he put together a strong first season: 63 catches, 938 yards and six touchdowns. The production was impressive, though he did run into the rookie wall and level off late after a hot start.
The expectation inside Tampa Bay is that he can give them the version of himself they saw early in the year more consistently. That’s why this injury scare matters. The Buccaneers can’t afford to have his momentum interrupted now.
Practice is still going, and Todd Bowles is expected to speak when it wraps up. Egbuka’s status will be one of the first topics on the table, and until there’s more clarity, Buccaneers fans will be left waiting and hoping the issue doesn’t linger into the regular season.
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