The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are set to run straight into one of the league’s most dangerous edge threats on Sunday, with the Pittsburgh Steelers bringing T.J. Watt to town. That puts a spotlight on the outside of Tampa Bay’s offensive line, where Luke Goedeke and Tristan Wirfs will be tested from the opening snap.
Goedeke has quietly built one of the more impressive streaks in the NFL. Pro Football Focus says the Buccaneers right tackle has gone 709 straight snaps without giving up a sack dating back to last season, which puts him second in the league behind Denver Broncos tackle Garett Bolles, who sits at 1,077.
That kind of steadiness matters even more because Goedeke’s path back wasn’t simple. Early last season, he suffered a severe foot injury, tried to play through it in Week 2, and then aggravated it badly enough that he had to leave the game. The result was a trip to injured reserve, a six-game absence, and a stretch where Tampa Bay’s season went in a very different direction without him.
Now, though, he looks back to full strength. Through the opening weeks of the 2026 NFL season, Goedeke has carried over a strong training camp and given the Buccaneers the kind of reliability they were hoping for when they drafted him in the second round in 2022.
That confidence showed up in camp, too. Rookie edge rusher Rueben Bain Jr. spoke about lining up against Goedeke every day, saying he "doesn't take it for granted" to play against "one of the best in the game."
The bigger picture for Tampa Bay’s front is encouraging, even if the protection has wobbled at times over the first five weeks. Entering the season, the unit was expected to be a strength, with All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs anchoring the blindside and key pieces back healthy. So far, the line has still held up as one of the team’s better groups.
PFF’s Tuesday rankings backed that up in a surprising way, listing Tampa Bay first in the NFL in pressure rate at 18.4%. And while the matchup has been challenging, the line has done its job well enough to keep Jalon Daniels upright over the last two games, allowing just four sacks in those two matchups.
That sets up a real test in Week 6. Against Watt and the Steelers, Tampa Bay will need its tackles to keep the pocket clean and give Daniels a chance to operate.
In Other News...
Baker Mayfield's Thumb Suddenly Looms Over A Crucial Bucs Stretch
Baker Mayfields thumb has quickly become the hinge point of the Buccaneers next stretch, with Tampa Bay waiting to see how his recovery progresses after the injury sidelined him. The quarterback is due to test whether he can grip and throw the football soon, a key checkpoint for a team trying to stabilize its offense and get the season pointed in the right direction.
For now, the Bucs are preparing to move ahead without him against the Pittsburgh Steelers, with Jalon Daniels in line to start again. The more meaningful date may be Week 7 against the Carolina Panthers, when Mayfield could be back in the mix if the thumb responds well, giving Tampa Bay a chance to regain the kind of production it has been missing in his absence. [Read more 🡒]
Buccaneers Face A Familiar Problem Against Aaron Rodgers In Week 6
The Buccaneers head into their matchup with the Steelers looking to steady a season that still feels very much in progress, and the chess match up front could shape the afternoon as much as anything else. Tampa Bay has gotten encouraging signs on the ground from Bucky Irving, while Pittsburgh has leaned on a versatile offense built around Jaylin Warren, who has become the Steelers most productive weapon out of the backfield.
For Tampa Bay, the bigger concern is whether its defense can create enough disruption to make life uncomfortable for Aaron Rodgers. The Buccaneers have struggled to finish plays with their pass rush, and that is exactly the kind of issue Rodgers tends to expose. If the Bucs are going to leave with a result that helps their record, they will likely need more than just solid offense and a clean game script. [Read more 🡒]
Rueben Bain Jr. Is Giving The Bucs A Needed Defensive Hope
Rueben Bain Jr.s rookie season with the Buccaneers has been more about patience than splash plays so far, which is not what anyone envisioned when Tampa Bay added him to help the edge rush. The outside linebacker has been slowed by injuries, but the broader need is obvious: the Bucs have a strong secondary and are still looking for a pass rush that can make life easier on the back end and give the defense a more complete feel.
There are signs the picture may be turning. Larry Foote has liked what he has seen from Bain lately, and the rookie appears to be moving better after working through the shoulder and groin issues that interrupted his early progress. Tampa Bay can live with a developmental arc if the payoff comes later, but getting more from Bain would be especially important with the rest of the defense trying to build on that complementary structure. [Read more 🡒]