The Bucs’ receiver room took another hit Monday night, and this one looks like it could linger.
Jalen McMillan re-injured the posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee against the Vikings on Sunday, and the early expectation is that he’ll be sidelined for 6-8 weeks, according to a Tampa Bay Times confirmation. He is set to see a specialist in the coming days and will be placed on injured reserve.
It’s another tough break for McMillan, who already lost most of last season after severely injuring his neck while making a catch in a preseason game. He appeared in only four games last year, but when he was healthy enough to return late in the season, he flashed the kind of production Tampa Bay had been waiting for. The third-round pick out of Washington finished his rookie year with 37 catches for 461 yards and eight touchdowns, including a seven-catch, 114-yard outing at Miami.
For a Bucs offense already searching for answers on the outside, the timing is rough. Emeka Egbuka currently leads the team with 13 catches for 141 yards and one touchdown.
Cade Otton is next with 11 receptions for 120 yards and no touchdowns. Rookie Ted Hurst provided a bright spot against Minnesota, hauling in a 40-yard touchdown from Baker Mayfield for his first career score.
With McMillan headed to IR, Tampa Bay has a couple of practice-squad options it could turn to: Eric Rivers Jr. and Steinbrenner High’s Dean Patterson IV.
In Other News...
Bucs Loss Exposed A Bigger Problem Than Fans Wanted To See
The Buccaneers 23-16 loss to the Vikings in Week 3 was more than just a one-score setback. Tampa Bay kept bumping into the same problems on both sides of the ball, with the offense never finding much rhythm under coordinator Zac Robinson and the defense undone at key moments, including an 86-yard punt return touchdown that tilted the game in Minnesotas favor.
Baker Mayfield finished with a 50% completion rate, one touchdown and one interception, then added a right hand injury late in the game to an already frustrating night. There were also rough stretches for players such as cornerback Jacob Parrish and right tackle Luke Goedeke, leaving the Bucs with an uncomfortable reminder that the issues exposed Sunday go well beyond a single bad sequence or a single phase of the game. [Read more 🡒]
Baker Mayfield Injury Just Raised The Stakes For A Reeling Bucs Team
Tampa Bays rough Week 3 got even messier late in the loss to Minnesota, when Baker Mayfield dislocated his thumb near the end of the game. The Buccaneers were already dealing with the sting of another defeat, and the injury to their starting quarterback quickly became the biggest concern coming out of the night.
Todd Bowles said Mayfield will undergo an MRI to get a better read on the injury, leaving the team waiting on a clearer update. Mayfield was replaced by rookie Jalon Daniels after leaving the game, and for a Bucs team trying to steady itself, the timing of the setback only adds to the pressure heading into the next stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Bucs Loss Exposed Problems Fans Wont Stop Arguing About
The Buccaneers latest loss did more than dent the standings - it reopened the same arguments that have followed this team for weeks. Between the defenses uneven stretches, the offenses uneven rhythm and a special teams sequence that left plenty of second-guessing behind, the game against Minnesota became the kind of all-around mess that forces a closer look at how Tampa Bay is being coached and why so many drives still seem to stall at the wrong time.
Todd Bowles now has a familiar debate on his hands, because the scrutiny is not just about one bad afternoon but about how the Bucs handled key moments through the first three quarters. Baker Mayfield, Bucky Irving and a few others had their moments, but the bigger issue is whether the teams decisions and execution can keep matching up against good opponents when the game starts tightening. [Read more 🡒]