Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting right guard Cody Mauch sustained a season-ending knee injury in Monday’s victory over the Houston Texans and will be placed on injured reserve Thursday.
Mauch was able to finish the game for the Buccaneers (2-0), who are now without three starting offensive linemen entering Sunday’s contest against the visiting New York Jets (0-2).
Injuries were the prevailing storyline at One Buc Place on Thursday.
Rookie receiver Emeka Egbuka missed practice after not participating on Wednesday due to hip and groin injuries. The first-round pick has three touchdown receptions in two games, filling the production missed with Chris Godwin working back from a 2024 ankle injury. Godwin is doing some individual drills at practice but isn’t ready for a full workload.
Wide receiver isn’t the only position hurting.
Tampa Bay also lost right tackle Luke Goedeke to a foot injury Monday, while All-Pro left tackle Tristan Wirfs is still working his way back after having knee surgery in July. Wirfs returned to practice last week as a limited participant but is considered unlikely to return this week. Goedeke is being placed on non-season-ending IR and will miss at least the next four games. He was seen rolling around the locker room on a scooter on Thursday with his injured foot elevated.
Veteran guard Sua Opeta was signed to the practice squad on Thursday, the Bucs signed Dan Feeney off of the Bills’ practice squad and Luke Haggard was signed from the practice squad to the 53-man roster. Opeta was competing to be a starter in Tampa Bay’s 2024 training camp when he suffered a torn ACL. He returned to camp with the team in August but was released. Haggard has spent the last two years on the Buccaneers’ practice squad, but has never played in a regular-season game.
The Buccaneers have been using a makeshift offensive line with starting center Graham Barton shuffling to left tackle, traditional left guard Ben Bredeson — who edged out Opeta last summer — moving to center and Michael Jordan getting the start at left guard. Charlie Heck replaced Goedeke after the latter was injured on Monday.
Mauch, 26, has started all 39 of Tampa Bay’s games (including playoffs) since being selected by the Buccaneers in the second round of the 2023 NFL Draft.
–Field Level Media
