Todd Bowles Gives Ted Hurst A Thumbs-Up, So Far
June 5th, 2026
Promising trait.
Refreshingly on Tuesday, Kitkat-eating Bucs coach Todd Bowles was in no mood to gas up players because they made a play or two in underwear football.
(Joe sometimes gets frustrated by apparently not properly describing how underwear football truly is flag football. The only difference is players wear helmets. Joe still gets questions about offensive linemen in underwear football. Maybe Joe should quit using the word “football” because that’s *nothing* like what Joe sees on the practice fields when players are mandated to only wear shorts/sweat pants and tees/sweatshirts. Hitting is strictly verboten.)
It’s “flag football,” Bowles said more than once. Wait until the pads come on.
Maybe a clearer picture of what Joe sees should be referred to as “powderpuff football.”
But one local TV reporter was able to pry a morsel of information out of Bowles on Bucs rookie wide receiver Ted Hurst. Again, Bowles would not give the local pen and mic club any analysis on Hurst on the field because — all together now — it is underwear football.
Bowles seems to think Hurst has promising traits.
“Very smart guy,” Bowles said of Hurst. “I mean, we’re throwing a lot at him. He’s very smart.
“We’ll see when it calms down. Usually it takes a day or two every time a new install goes in [for Hurst to calm down.]”
The kicker for Joe is what Bowles said next.
“He doesn’t make the same mistake.”
That is very refreshing. Rookies, especially one coming from the Fun Belt and Georgia State, you’d think there would be a bit of a learning curve. Repetitive mistakes would happen.
Apparently, not so with Hurst.
So while Bowles was very reluctant to give anyone props in underwear football, Joe thinks what Bowles did say about Hurst was actually a lot.
June 5th, 2026 at 9:15 am
Hope it continues when the lads come on. Tyson used to say that everyone has a plan until they get hit in the mouth. He seems like he’ll do well even in that scenario. Stoked to keep an eye on him, we just need some redzone plays from him.
June 5th, 2026 at 10:35 am
The Buc’s need him to be on the field at least in certain formations. He’s a true x receiver that can stretch the defense on go routes. He’s also big, tall, and has grood speed. This translates into points when in the red zone !! Bring on September!!
June 5th, 2026 at 10:51 am
I would line him up on the outside inside the 10 so Defense’s have to account for the corner fade.
June 5th, 2026 at 11:12 am
Todd’s kiss of death.
“He doesn’t make the same mistake.”
We’re confident that under the Twocoach’s Tutelage, he will learn to be like the rest of his teammates and make the same mistakes every game, every week.
June 5th, 2026 at 11:27 am
This dude is an absolute x factor for our offense this season. The offense could be elite if he can contribute early/often.
June 5th, 2026 at 11:32 am
The knock on him out of college is dropped balls. That’s not good for a WR.
Until proven otherwise he’s an unknown entity. Hype proves nothing.
When the pads come on and the games are meaningful come find me.
I’m not falling for the propaganda we get every year from the 3rd and 28 regime.
Last season is was Superbowl or bust. The result: Bust
June 5th, 2026 at 11:43 am
Lets wait till he has his nfl moment when the pads come on .
June 5th, 2026 at 11:45 am
While his drop rate trended slightly above average—often attributed to some concentration lapses and highly erratic quarterback play at GSU—he remained an incredibly productive and reliable vertical threat. He balanced these drops by hauling in nearly 60% of his contested targets and averaging over 15 yards per catch. Hurst’s impressive collegiate production and elite athleticism led to him being selected 84th overall in the 2026 NFL Draft by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
June 5th, 2026 at 11:47 am
You can clean up a drop rate.
You can’t clean up being s slow smurf.
I will take it.
June 5th, 2026 at 11:56 am
Underwear football is slightly more useful for receivers and defensive backs than most others
June 5th, 2026 at 12:19 pm
I don’t get the negative sentiment from some. Grasping the scheme and running good routes is exactly what he should be doing at the moment. Clearly that doesn’t mean he’s a future HOFer but acting like none of that matters is hating. Give credit where its due. He’s a rookie, we should want to see constant progress, especially from the small school players.
June 5th, 2026 at 1:23 pm
Putting Bowles assessment/ commentary is pure spit !!
June 5th, 2026 at 1:40 pm
We need a new picture for Ted!