Tampa Bay

Buccaneers

Egbuka continues to deal with a minor toe injury. Bowles said in recent weeks that he was optimistic about Egbuka’s status, but also wasn’t sure if he’d be available for Week 1. Now he’s hopeful that the 23-year-old wide receiver will be available. The Buccaneers don’t seem too concerned about the injury at this point, making Egbuka a solid WR2 in fantasy drafts.

Tucker and RB Josh Williams competed for the Buccaneers’ No. 3 running back job all night. Tucker got the start, touching the ball on three of the first four plays. Unfortunately, the drive ultimately ended in a punt, as did almost all of the others. It was an unproductive night for the Buccaneers’ offense. Williams entered the game on the second drive, and the two players continued to rotate in and out thereafter. Williams rushed eight times for 21 yards. Tucker caught one pass for minus-one yard as well. Neither player really separated from the other in the box score. The team must now choose between the trusted, higher-priced veteran, Tucker, and the more affordable second-year player, Williams. If Tucker is released, it could allow “1A” RB Bucky Irving to hoard short-yardage and goal-line work, which would significantly boost his fantasy-scoring outlook.

Second-year Buccaneers RB Josh Williams has played extensively, and even ahead of RB Sean Tucker, in the preseason thus far. Coach Todd Bowles has avoided answering questions about Tucker’s status directly, instead saying Williams is playing well and the staff wanted to see Williams play against better defenders early in preseason games. While this might not seem like a big deal, it could be for RB Bucky Irving. Tucker has been discussed as the team’s short-yardage and goal-line specialist this season. He is also set to make the second-highest salary in the backfield this year, yet none of it is guaranteed. Releasing him would save the team cash and potentially free up red zone duties for Irving to reclaim. Keep an eye on this position battle tonight.

Schefter said Bain, the 15th pick in the 2026 NFL Draft, should be ready to go for Week 1 against the Bengals. Bain has wowed Bucs coaches and beat writers throughout the summer with his work ethic and intensity and should be a key part of a Tampa defense that struggled through parts of the 2025 season, allowing the league’s 11th highest offensive success rate. The Bucs ranked last in QB pressure rate last season. That should change with Bain in the lineup.

The starting offense played two series consisting of eight plays before giving way to the second unit, wherein Irving saw a carry on the first three plays from scrimmage before Gainwell entered the game. Gainwell received his lone carry on the following play, with neither back seeing another opportunity before departing. Previous talk surrounding this backfield hinted at more of a “1A-1B” situation than what was seen in their first preseason action, widening the range of outcomes of Irving in a fantasy setting for the coming season. That leaves potential room for upside considering Irving’s No. 55 overall aggregate ADP across all platforms, particularly considering how much the coaching staff has talked up his receiving chops this offseason. Consider Irving an interesting upside bet in the fifth round.

Mayfield played just two series and was without his top four receivers, with only Bucky Irving and Kenny Gainwell joining him as presumed regular starters. Even so, the offense was hardly able to showcase its upside against backup members of the Kansas City defense. Whether Mayfield and the rest of the starters play in the team’s final preseason game next week remains to be seen, but there appears to be significant room for improvement before they kick off the regular season against the Bengals in three weeks.

Vea also gets a $6 million pay bump for the 2026 NFL season. He was previously set to make $18 million this year, bringing his new salary up to $24 million. NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo reported last week that Vea was seeking an extension, placing him in the top defensive tackle tier, which currently sits around $38 million annually. It looks like the two sides compromised to get a deal done. Vea ranked in the top three on the team in quarterback pressures (51) and sacks (four) last year. Garafolo clarified in a follow-up segment that the $30 million extension includes this season’s pay increase. Vea will play for $24 million in 2027.

Wirfs sustained a hamstring injury during the first week of Bucs training camp. The team has been cautious with their superstar offensive lineman ahead of the season, and we should expect that to continue in the weeks ahead of the team’s Week 1 matchup against the Bengals. Baker Mayfield has struggled when the Bucs have had offensive line injuries over the past couple seasons.

He was sidelined for a little over two weeks. McMillan is being treated like an afterthought in drafts, going off the board behind Cooper Kupp in the WR6 ranks. McMillan had a nine-target game last year despite missing most of the season and is still just 24 years old. Even with the Ted Hurst hype coming out of camp, there’s a chance for McMillan to be a useful spot starter in fantasy leagues this year.

This comes just days after it was reported that the Buccaneers “are very optimistic” about Egbuka’s Week 1 availability. The second-year receiver has been dealing with a sprained toe that he suffered on Wednesday and hasn’t practiced since. The Buccaneers are 27 days away from their Week 1 game against the Bengals, which will hopefully give Egbuka plenty of time to heal up. Egbuka profiles as a solid WR2 for this season with Mike Evans now with the 49ers.