The Buccaneers have continued to withstand body blows on offense, but they may be getting some help after the bye. Tampa Bay will see right tackle Luke Goedeke back at practice this week.
Down since aggravating a foot injury in Week 2, Goedeke received a return designation, according to the Tampa Bay Times’ Rick Stroud. This injury came before the spree of skill-position maladies — affecting Mike Evans, Bucky Irving, Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka — to plague the NFC South leaders. A Goedeke return would help a Bucs O-line that has missed other pieces at points.
While Goedeke has been sidelined, the Bucs lost right guard Cody Mauch for the season. They have yet to deploy Goedeke and starting left tackle Tristan Wirfs in a game together this season, with the All-Pro not debuting until Goedeke landed on IR. Having that duo back together would give Tampa Bay four of its five starting O-linemen — along with left guard Ben Bredeson and center Graham Barton — together. This would certainly benefit Baker Mayfield, whose MVP push has included a shorthanded squad throughout.
Goedeke made a second-year move from guard to tackle, and his work on the edge moved him into position to secure a late-summer extension. The Bucs gave Goedeke a four-year, $90MM extension, locking him in through the 2029 season a year after extending Wirfs through 2030 at a then-record tackle rate. The Bucs have 21 days to activate Goedeke, and it certainly sounds like the team will have him available soon.
Tampa Bay is hoping to have Evans back at some point in December; the future Hall of Fame wideout suffered a broken clavicle last month. The team has not used IR for Godwin or Irving, but each has missed extensive time. Irving has been out for four games with foot and shoulder injuries, while Godwin — who did not debut until Week 5 due to his fractured ankle — has missed the past three contests with a fibula issue. Neither is assured to be back for Week 10, but the running back and wide receiver landing on IR remains a positive sign regarding near-future returns.
While Evans’ reemergence is a long way off, the Bucs could have nine of their 11 offensive starters back fairly soon. Goedeke, who will turn 27 this month, has started 40 career games. This will be his third season as a Wirfs bookend, with the Bucs having kicked the standout to left tackle in 2023. That duo helped Mayfield stabilize his career, and the resurgent quarterback having played well without several key pieces on offense bodes well for his form when most are back.