Egbuka available after toe issue, will play Sunday
Emeka Egbuka has been declared ready for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' season opener against the Cincinnati Bengals, Todd Bowles confirmed Friday. Bowles said Egbuka is "full go" and that there will be no restriction keeping him out of Sunday’s game.
Egbuka missed time after suffering a toe sprain during joint practices with the New York Jets about a month ago but returned to full participation during this week’s practices. The rookie arrives in Week 1 off a strong first season in which he caught 63 passes for 938 yards and six touchdowns on 127 targets.
Doubtful tags for McMillan and Tucker, depth questions follow
Not all of Tampa Bay's offensive picture is settled. Jalen McMillan is listed as doubtful as he continues to deal with a knee injury; he had returned to practice earlier in the week but his status moved in the wrong direction heading into Sunday. Running back Sean Tucker is also listed as doubtful.
Tucker is listed as doubtful. His absence would not carry the same weight as losing one of the team’s top receivers, but it would leave Tampa Bay without another option in the backfield. The Buccaneers have preseason standout Josh Williams available as a potential replacement if Tucker is ultimately ruled out.
With McMillan doubtful, the team will rely more heavily on Emeka Egbuka. Yahoo! News projected that Egbuka and Chris Godwin could be asked to handle a larger share of the work against Cincinnati if McMillan cannot play, and also suggested rookie Ted Hurst could see increased snaps in his first NFL game. Yahoo! News additionally observed that the bigger concern is what the receiver room looks like behind Egbuka and Godwin.
For now, the immediate clarity around Egbuka is a boost for the Buccaneers' offense. How Tampa Bay adjusts its backfield rotation if Tucker is sidelined — and how snaps are allocated among receivers if McMillan can't go — will shape the team’s game plan against a Bengals defense that opens the season in Tampa Bay.
