Emeka Egbuka Explains How Mike Evans And Chris Godwin Have Been A “Cheat Code” For Him
November 5th, 2025
Big brother advice.
Was there a better team for Emeka Egbuka to end up with than the Bucs?
From the second he touched down in Tampa, the Washington state native was made to feel right at home in the Bucs family.
Baker Mayfield set up a reception lunch at a waterside eatery with the entire offensive line the day Egbuka and his family arrived.
Egbuka found himself with a popular veteran quarterback with two egoless star receivers, Mike Evans and Chris Godwin, who were more than willing to help the rookie.
No pressure on Egbuka at all. No leaning on him to turn around a garbage team. The Bucs were a veteran, winning team with a Super Bowl pedigree. Egbuka, at worst a No. 4 receiver, could take his time settling in.
Egbuka recently sat down with Casey Phillips of Buccaneers.com and told her how fortunate he was to end up with Evans and Godwin as teammates.
“You know, kind of having both of them is a cheat code, too,” Egbuka said. “Because they’re, they’re very different in the way that they think.”
Egbuka described Godwin as much more analytical and deliberate in his approach.
“I think Chris is very methodical and planned out and everything,” Egbuka said. “He’s a little more wired my way.”
Evans, Egbuka said, is much more direct.
“And Mike, whenever I asked Mike for advice sometimes he’ll give me a genuine answer, but other times he’ll just be like, ‘Dude, like, you’re Emeka Egbuka. Just go out there and ball.’
“Yeah, okay, like, [Evans] just gives me so much confidence. Like, he believes in me and just fills me with so much like, ‘OK man, I’m gonna go do this.’
“So kind of having both [types of insight], it’s just a cheat code. They’ve taught me so much, even within this short amount of time I’ve only been here for, I don’t even know how many months, but it feels like I’ve known them for forever.”
That’s way cool to hear and Joe is confident intel like that makes folks at One Buc Palace proud — from Team Glazer to Jason Licht to his staff and to Todd Bowles and his staff.
That’s the type of culture and attitude the Bucs’ hierarchy strives for: really, really good players who have their egos checked enough that they all want to bring out the best in each other.
@bucsnfl Emeka’s relationship with Mike Evans & Chris Godwin is the ultimate cheat code 🤝 #emekaegbuka #mikeevans #chrisgodwin #buccaneers #nfl ♬ original sound – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
November 5th, 2025 at 12:48 am
As much as I appreciate a great culture, which will improve expectations and results in present and future, I also feel like it’s a handicap. We draft players that we like so much as people, that we are unwilling to trade mediocre players due to that bond. Even at the expense of improving our team.
November 5th, 2025 at 12:51 am
If you like your draft picks so much, trade players
November 5th, 2025 at 12:57 am
The real cheat code would’ve been to have those 3 players play at one time. But alas, Egbuka, Shepard and Johnson for our MVP level QB. I digress.
November 5th, 2025 at 1:00 am
That was all well and good when EE was under the radar, Mikey and for 2 games Chris were on the field and the OL could actually block someone slightly ambulatory.
Now EE is the number 1, auto-doubled and the OL can’t block a sleeping baby. So perhaps the HC and OC need to work with what they have to create something effective.
Other teams do this.
Why not us?
November 5th, 2025 at 4:47 am
LOL
Sounds like Mike is not gonna have the kid doubting himself.
Go Buka!
Go Bucs!
November 5th, 2025 at 6:34 am
So Baker needs to bake some Ebuka this Sunday.
November 5th, 2025 at 7:47 am
OR Bucs… nothing smart to say, huh?
I’d love to see out star receivers play together all at once as well but broken bones are hard to over come.
It’s ignorant to think we can just go out an easily trade for players. You don’t know what other teams were asking for or what kind of contracts we’d have to eat and the cap hit they’d make. Then there’s the personality, skill set and schematic fit. It’s more complicated than many here make it sound. How many free agents are truly God sends and more than worth it like JPP, Shaq and Baker was? And they didn’t cost us the price of any high picks. Many are disappointing and do not live up to the hype. You have to be shrewd, like Licht.
November 5th, 2025 at 7:49 am
Mike and Chris – The heart and soul of this team. Many rookies have been guided by them. Buka said it right. When they decide to retire, they deserve a job at One Buc Place.
November 5th, 2025 at 8:37 am
KABucs has spoken. Smarty pants extraordinaire. shrewd would have been making a good deal. Standing pat can be shrewd too, but not with the significant injuries and several losses for the season (walker, kancey, mauch, mike). We are 1 LVD injury away from having the worst ILB room in the league. And to think that the injured guys will even come back close to 100% is HOPE! This team could have benefitted from reinforcements and just because we don’t know if he tried or not doesn’t mean anything. I think the majority of JBF fans agree with me that they are frustrated that our amazing season is resting on HOPE and prayers.
November 5th, 2025 at 9:05 am
BUCS HAVE A HOMEGROWN SB TEAM!!!!!
GO BUCS
November 5th, 2025 at 9:22 am
Funny how some have eaten crow 6 times this season and still want more!!!!
Lol….don’t worry feather face….Bowles knows you like your crow with Cajun lemon pepper seasoning lol
GO BUCS
November 5th, 2025 at 9:38 am
Funny how some people feel content with 4 final minute wins, 2 dubbing’s by playoff teams and that scary NO defense that controlled the line of scrimmage.
November 5th, 2025 at 10:33 am
So much hype…9 catches in the last 3 games….pump the brakes a bit