The Buccaneers have found something in Ted Hurst, and Todd Bowles doesn’t sound interested in letting that stay buried much longer.
The rookie wideout has already flashed enough to make Tampa Bay think bigger. Through his first six NFL games, Hurst has caught passes in five of them, including three without starting quarterback Baker Mayfield. He’s 22 years old, he’s already found the end zone once, and he’s giving the Bucs the kind of downfield juice they clearly want more of.
Hurst caught his first touchdown against the Minnesota Vikings on Sept. 27. On the season, he has 11 catches for 168 yards and a score, with an average of 15.3 yards per catch that ranks second on the team, trailing only fellow rookie tight end Bauer Sharp, who has one catch for 21 yards.
Bowles made it plain this week on the Buccaneers Radio Network that he wants more chances to feature Hurst.
“The game’s not too big for him,” Bowles said on the Buccaneers Radio Network this week, “and as he gets the offensive game plan and the situations down that he can see and play fast and, you know, he’s really gonna start coming on right now,”
Then came the line that says plenty about where the coach’s head is at.
“We really gotta use him a little bit more. But you got Chris [Godwin] and [Emeka Egbuka] and we only got one ball,” Bowles said.
“So that ball, as well as Bucky (Irving), so that ball gets spread around pretty good. But he’s gonna be a heck of a player for us.”
That’s the tug-of-war inside Tampa Bay’s offense right now. The Bucs have no shortage of weapons.
Emeka Egbuka leads the receiver room with 28 catches for 240 yards and two touchdowns, while Chris Godwin has 23 catches for 216 yards. Bucky Irving has been the most productive skill player of them all, piling up 452 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 96 carries.
Still, Hurst’s usage stands out. He has been targeted nine more times than Tez Johnson, who is one year older, and he has been targeted seven fewer times than tight end Cade Otton and just one more than Irving.
That kind of workload makes the case for Tampa Bay to push the ball deeper more often.
Mayfield’s return could help change the picture. He has been sidelined since late last month with a dislocated thumb and has missed Tampa’s last three games. On Wednesday, he practiced with a glove on his right throwing hand, which at least points in the right direction.
The timing matters. Tampa Bay sits at 1-5, and this is the kind of game the Buccaneers simply need to have. Dropping another one would sting on its own; dropping one at home to a divisional rival would hurt even more.
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Chiefs Receiver Search Just Opened Another Interesting Possibility
The receiver market around Kansas City has started to widen in an unexpected way, and Chris Godwin has emerged as another name to watch. Reports suggest the Chiefs are exploring ways to bolster Patrick Mahomes passing game, with Tyreek Hill standing out as the headline possibility while Godwin has also come up as a veteran option. For Tampa Bay, it is another reminder that Godwins value still stretches beyond the stat sheet, even in a season where injuries and a dip in production have made his impact a little less consistent than in past years.
Godwin has still been a useful piece for the Buccaneers, but the conversation around him now sits at the intersection of need and opportunity for another team. One NFL executive pointed out that Kansas City likely cannot solve its receiver problems with just one addition, even if Hill were to return, which only adds to the intrigue around a player like Godwin. For the Bucs, the question is not whether he can help, but how much interest his current market will generate if the Chiefs keep digging for answers. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Suddenly Face A Yaya Diaby Decision That Says Everything
With the Buccaneers sitting at 1-5, the front office is weighing a move that would say plenty about where this season is headed. Yaya Diaby, once viewed as part of the pass-rush future, has become a name to watch ahead of the trade deadline as Tampa Bay looks at ways to add draft capital and keep building for what comes next.
The edge rushers production has dipped this year, and the Bucs have other defenders beginning to carve out bigger roles, which makes the decision even more complicated. If they believe a trade is the best path, Tampa Bay may prefer to get something back now rather than risk watching the situation drift toward free agency, with Dallas among the clubs that could make sense given its defensive needs and Jerry Jones recent hints about being active. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Suddenly Have A Chris Godwin Problem They Cant Ignore
Chris Godwins role in the Buccaneers passing game has become harder to ignore as his production has trended down over seven straight games. For a player being paid like a top receiver, the lack of volume stands out even more in an offense that has already been forced to adjust around injuries and quarterback changes, leaving Tampa Bay searching for cleaner ways to get one of its most important weapons involved.
Offensive coordinator and coach both acknowledge the issue is not as simple as dialing up a few more looks. Defenses have tilted coverage toward Godwin, and the playbook has been trimmed with a young quarterback running the offense, which has made it tougher to build the kind of rhythm that usually gets a receiver of his caliber rolling. The Buccaneers know the answer has to come soon, even if the path to it is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]