The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have dealt with injury problems for the entire season. Entering the season without Chris Godwin or Tristan Wirfs, the team hasn’t managed to get fully healthy at any point during the year. The offense, in particular, has dealt with repeated blows at virtually every level. From the offensive line to the backfield and the wide receiver room, no part of the offense has enjoyed a healthy 2025.
So far, despite those injuries, the roster has been more than pulling its weight, jumping out to a 5-1 start. However, against the Detroit Lions in Week 7, the injuries finally caught up to them, as they fell to 5-2 and immediately dropped to the fourth seed in the NFC. Unfortunately, it doesn’t look like things are getting markedly better for the organization when Week 8 rolls around.
The Injury Bug Isn’t Leaving the Buccaneers Anytime Soon
Unfortunately, what began with Godwin and Wirfs has spread to the rest of the offense. It first began with Mike Evans missing a few weeks with a hamstring injury. That situation worsened when Bucky Irving was ruled out with a foot injury.
Then, Emeka Egbuka seemed like the lone soldier left standing, but he, too, had to go in Week 6 due to a hamstring strain. Even though he returned for the game against the Lions alongside Evans, the latter suffered a broken collarbone.
Going into a game against the New Orleans Saints, the Buccaneers’ injury report looks absolutely brutal just by the sheer number of players on it. Unfortunately, the reality is even worse, given the designations on the report.
The three main injuries on offense are most notable. Neither Irving nor Godwin has made it to practice, and they were DNPs on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday. Both of them are now officially ruled out for Week 8.
With Egbuka, the situation was better, but only slightly. After a DNP scratch on Wednesday, he returned to the field on Thursday, albeit in a limited capacity. However, he fully practiced on Friday, and is cleared to play this week.
But without the rest of their weapons, the Bucs’ offense is struggling mightily. Ranked 19th in the league on PFSN’s Offense Impact, their heroics in the clutch have led them to five wins on the season.
If they want to emerge as genuine Super Bowl contenders from the conference, then that production needs an uptick. But, with the holes currently on the roster due to injuries alone, that seems like a tall task for the organization.
