Doubling down at wide receiver this offseason by re-signing Chris Godwin and drafting Emeka Egbuka, the Buccaneers had the makings of one of the deepest receiving groups in recent NFL history. They will not open the season with their full arsenal.
Godwin’s recovery timeline from a second ankle surgery remains murky, and the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud reports the Bucs will not have Jalen McMillan for much of the season. A “severely sprained neck” will lead the second-year wideout to IR to open the season, and no immediate return is expected. McMillan landed on his head while making a leaping catch against the Steelers; he was transported to an area hospital, per ESPN.com’s Jenna Laine.
A 2024 third-round pick, McMillan showed promising replacing Godwin last season. The injury he sustained recently could sideline him until after Tampa Bay’s Week 9 bye, Stroud adds. Additionally, Todd Bowles said (via Stroud) DB Christian Izien sustained an oblique injury that could keep him out to open the season.
It looks more likely than not the Bucs will be without McMillan and Godwin to start the season. The team is not certain to stash Godwin on IR, but one of its IR-return spots next week figures to go to McMillan. The Bucs can place McMillan on IR upon setting their 53-man roster, losing one of their eight in-season activations in the process. This is not a career-threatening neck issue, per Bowles, but it stands to stunt the promising weapon’s growth due to the timing here.
McMillan scored seven touchdowns in the Bucs’ final five games last season, totaling 461 yards on 37 receptions and eight TDs on the year. Becoming Mike Evans‘ top sidekick when Godwin went down with a dislocated ankle, McMillan already stood to see his role diminish thanks to Godwin re-signing and Egbuka joining the team at No. 19 overall. Suddenly, any contributions the Washington alum makes in Year 2 could be viewed as a bonus.
While Tampa Bay’s potential Godwin-Egbuka-McMillan-Evans quartet would be dangerous, the team will be limited here for a while. Fortunately, Evans and Egbuka are healthy as the season nears. Egbuka has impressed, and it is fair to expect the Ohio State all-time receiving leader to have a major role to open the season. Godwin is not a lock to start the season on time, but the Bucs are not certain to stash him on the reserve/PUP list just yet. That is a clear possibility, however, which would put pressure on Egbuka to develop quickly alongside Evans.
Izien will make the Bucs’ 53-man roster, but his role is not locked down just yet. A super-utility player of sorts previously, Izien has seen Tykee Smith move toward the safety spot alongside Antoine Winfield Jr. and third-round rookie Jacob Parrish challenge for the Week 1 slot corner role. Izien would represent a valuable piece of the bench in a scenario in which Smith and Parrish lock in regular roles, and his recent injury could cement that status.